Chasing Stars
by timeywimeyhearts
Summary: Post-"Angels Take Manhattan." River and the Doctor go on their own adventures, take along other companions, and get into tons of trouble. But how long will the adventures last before The Doctor sends River to The Library?
1. Meanwhile, in Manhattan

**Chapter Name: **Meanwhile, in Manhattan…

**Setting:** This picks up at the end of "The Angels Take Manhattan;" if you still haven't seen this episode, read on at your own risk.

**DISCLAIMER: Some dialogue from this chapter includes what was said in the actual episode. This is indicated through the use of page breaks. The part after the first page break is taken directly from the episode, and you should recognize it as so. **I did not write those lines, and all credits go to BBC and Moffat. This dialogue was unavoidable and inevitable, since the story picks up before the episode is over.

* * *

**THE DOCTOR'S PERSPECTIVE**

Brilliant! Rory and Amelia Pond are absolutely, _fantastically_ brilliant! Creating a paradox is _not_ something I'd usually agree to (or support, for that matter…) but it _worked!_ Of course, waking up in the middle of a graveyard is not exactly my cup of tea, but it definitely beats the alternative: being _buried _in the graveyard.

Sitting up in the grass, I glanced down at River Song, who hadn't fully woken up yet. Realizing I was still holding onto her hand, I couldn't resist giving it a little kiss to make up for how hard I must've been squeezing it at the Winter Quay.

River's eyes fluttered open, blinded by the sun. "Hey Sweetie," she said softly. "I thought we were beyond kissing on the _hand_ by now."

"No, no, that's not right," I mumbled, the words escaping my mouth before I really knew what I was saying (which unfortunately happens fairly often around her). And I knew, just by looking at her furrowed eyebrows and those squiggly lines across her forehead, she had no _idea_ what I was taking about. "What you just said, right there, it's, um... it's not right- it's, um... _'Hello.'_"

She sat up a bit, resting her elbows on the grass, and cocked her head to the side, giving me that _he's cute when he's flustered _smile. "Oh, Doctor, what are you on about this time?"

So I tried again. "Its _wrong. 'Hey Sweetie'_ is wrong, _'Hello Sweetie'_ is right. It's always been: '_Hello_!'"

River sighed and gave a short, sweet little laugh, _finally_ realizing what I meant. She drives me absolutely_ mad_! We almost all just died, for heaven's sake- and here I am, making googly eyes at River, getting all my words confused, and rambling on and on, making a complete and total ass of myself, not making a bit of sense.

My face felt hotter and hotter the longer we sat like that. Sure, it'd only been a matter of seconds... but her big, beautiful eyes pierced right into mine, _knowing _that I only get this way around _her. _And you could see that satisfaction just glowing from her stupidly adorable smile that she wouldn't wipe off. I ran an anxious hand through my hair, wishing I would've just shut up about the whole thing to begin with. "Oh, never_ mind!_ This is what you _do_, River- what you always do! Making people all flustered and whatnot! You can't just go around confusing people, throwing around different forms of '_Hello.'_ It's not fair, and it's- _it's inappropriate, _and-"

"And you can stop talking now," she teased as she wrapped her arms around my neck. "You sentimental idiot." I couldn't resist smiling like a child as she kissed me.

Speaking of children, though, I could hear Rory off in the distance, calling for us. "Doctor! River! Where are you two?"

Amy shouted right after him, saying, "Come on you two! We just jumped off a building- still a bit sore from that. The least you could do is get over here!"

I broke the kiss immediately and grinned from ear to ear. A knowing nod from River sent me running over to my Ponds. (Okay, so it was more like _skipping _over to them. _Dancing, _if you will. I was probably a little too excited.)

* * *

I followed the sound their voices and found them sitting up behind a few tombstones, clearly scuffed up from their "landing."

"Where are we?" Rory asked, a little less enthused than I'd expected.

Nonetheless, I answered cheerily, "Back where we started!"

Amy and Rory looked around- still unsure about everything, I guess. I could hardly blame them though; it was all so hard to believe that even _I_ found myself in disbelief, touching Rory's face to ensure I wasn't imagining it. This was really real- the Ponds fixed it all! Everything was going to be alright- just this once, everybody lives! Hardly able to contain my excitement, I cried out, "You collapsed the timeline! The paradox worked! We all pinged back where we belong!"

"What- in a graveyard?" Rory, Rory, Rory... when did he become such a negative Nancy?

"Yeah, this happened last time," Amy pointed out. "Why always here?" And Amelia. Always the skeptic.

I threw my hands up and flailed around a bit. "Does it matter? We got lucky! We could've blown New York off the planet! ...I can't ever take the TARDIS back there- the time lines are too scrambled." Still utterly relieved that _that_ was the worst of our problems, I took a deep breath and whispered, "I could've lost you both," and wrapped my arms around the pair of them, holding onto them tightly. "Don't ever do that again," I warned.

"What- What'd we do?" Rory asked, confused (as usual). "We fixed it- we solved the problem."

I pulled back from our group-hug and smiled at the both of them. "I was talking to myself."

I kissed the tops of their heads and ran off to River with an extra spring in my step.

* * *

I was just about to tell River the good news about how we all survived in one piece, when a certain tombstone caught my eye. I stopped dead in my tracks, rubbed my eyes desperately, and read the tombstone again in utter confusion. I looked over my shoulder, towards Rory and Amy, and there they were- right where I left them- holding hands and laughing in between kisses, happy as ever. I looked back to the stone once more, shook my head, and walked away, saying under my breath, "No, it can't be true."

"What can't be true?" River, still sitting right where I left her, beamed up at me with that smile of hers.

"Never mind that, River. Like I said, it isn't even true, so there's no use in discussing it," I dismissed. "Now what have you been up to over here all by yourself?"

"Just taking it all in. It's been a _long_ day. But...well, look at that," she said, nodding towards the Manhattan skyline. "It's still carrying on. As if nothing ever happened. Like the angels never took over, like the Statue of Liberty never left it's spot, and like all four of us were never even there in the first place- as if our family wasn't almost torn apart and lost forever-"

I sat down beside her, placing my hand over hers, reiterating, "That's because nothing _did_ happen. Not in _this_ timeline. Paradox, remember?"

"I know. But it's moments like this that make me wonder if traveling through all of time and space is really worth it. We risk our lives- not to mention our _family's_ lives- for ordinary people out there who haven't the slightest clue that we exist. We could _be _those ordinary people, you know. Living in New York, reading the morning paper, having a job that doesn't involve killing or nearly being killed, and-"

"And you would hate every minute of it."

We both burst out in laughter as she cried, "Oh God yes! Could you imagine? Me, being simple?"

I gave her a soft little nose-tap, grateful that she hadn't noticed the change in subject, and sighed, "You couldn't be simple if you tried, River. You are… the most incredible woman that I have ever had the pleasure of knowing."

She bit her lip, eyebrows raised, and scoffed, "You're good at that, aren't you?"

"What? I was just-"

"Changing the subject?" So she _did _notice... "Nice try, Doctor, but I know you better than anyone. And I know when something's wrong."

"Nothing's wrong, River," I lied. "Everything is back to normal, and I couldn't be happier. Nothing left to talk about." I got up, brushed the dirt off my trousers, and tried to walk away before River could say anything more.

Before I even took my first step, she called my bluff nonchalantly. "I don't believe you." As if she knew I was about to walk away again, she went on, "Why do you always do this?" Uh-oh. "You push me away every time something bothers you, when I... I trust you, with anything and everything. I thought, maybe one day, you might trust me half as much."

"Oh, River…" I slowly turned around and pulled her to her feet. I've never seen her so... vulnerable. Just earlier, she was telling me about how she always hid her damage from me. Doesn't she realize I'm doing the same for her? I brushed the hair away from her face and placed a single soft kiss on her lips. "I absolutely trust you- with anything, everything, and _more_. But when one's in love with _anyone, _as much as I'm in love with you, one does one's best to hide the damage."

I sighed, knowing she wouldn't let me off that easy. I had to tell her. "I saw a tombstone with Rory's name on it." And that was it; the expression that was on her face nearly killed me. "It's fine though," I attempted to say cheerily. "One name written on a stone is such a small thing- I'm sure the paradox just _missed it_, that's all. Skipped right over it. It's that unimportant."

She shook her head in what seemed to be a combination of horror and remorse. "That's impossible- you know that."

"Not entirely..." I tried to think of another excuse, but nothing came to mind. She was right. But- for not just my sake, but hers as well- she _had _to be wrong. "Listen, the paradox doesn't always-"

A look a pity took over her expression. She reached for my hand and said cautiously, "No, Doctor. You've got to listen to _me_ on this one. What you're suggesting is not only impossible; it's ridiculous. And-"

"I know, I know! So it's something else then! Maybe someone's got the same name!"

"Another Rory Williams- buried in _here_ of all places? No, that's too much of a coincidence."

"What else then!?" I snapped.

River grabbed ahold of my arms immediately and hushed, "Doctor, _please._Don't make them hear you. That won't make anything better."

I turned around to see Rory and Amy off in the distance. They looked over and gave us a little wave.

Turning back to River, I took a deep breath and said quietly, "I'm sorry… Tell me what else it could be then, because Rory's right back there. He's alive well and with Amy, and we're taking them home as soon as we all get back into the TARDIS."

River looked at me like I had just sputtered off in a foreign language. She didn't look happy with me either. "What's that face for?" I asked.

"We're taking them _home_?" she demanded.

"Well it's where they should have been in the first place. It's where they _belong_, River."

"Don't you dare take them away from me now. We were supposed to have a proper wedding. We talked about this. They were going to be there. The four of us, off on some wondrous planet, Rory both giving me away _and _being your best man, Amy being my maid of honor... We have so many plans- they're our family- and they belong with _us_. And do you really think they'd just _let _you drop them off? They _want _to be here. And if something does happen to Rory out there- could you really leave Amy alone?"

"It's my fault all of this happened," I growled in a hushed fit of anger. "Don't you see? This is what I do _every_time; I find good people, and I take their lives away from them. It's selfish and I will _not_ be putting them in any more danger."

"Well, hate to remind you, but Rory isn't out of danger yet."

"He is as long as I've got the TARDIS, and as long as he's _home._"

"You saw it written in stone, sweetie. And once you know what's coming, it's impossible to change, and it can't stopped."

"Or maybe it _can _be stopped- it's just never happened before!" And just like that, my brain scrambled together the perfect plan! I flashed River a devious smile and took her by the hand. She didn't even have to question me. We both knew we had to get back to the TARDIS and get Rory away from that graveyard. We had to run and never look back.

River went into the TARDIS first, took one look, and frowned back at me; "It's safe to say she could do with a little fixing up." She was right, the TARDIS was a complete disaster. I tried to start her up, but to no avail. River gave me a little nudge as she reached for the control panel. "Let me see." I stepped aside and watched her work on the TARDIS, but still, nothing happened. "We could be here all day. Her parts are everywhere... if only I could get her to turn on, maybe she could show me how to fix her."

"I could fix her up, of course, it'll just take a bit." I slid my hands into my pockets and rocked back on my heels awkwardly. "...Should I warn them about Rory?" I asked.

"No, of course not," she answered, bustling around the TARDIS. "They would panic if they knew- and the last time that happened, they jumped right off of a building without so much as a goodbye."

"Right. Well... I should at least let them know we'll be a while. Right?"

River shot me a puzzled glance, "What for?"

"I don't know- look- _I'm just saying-_ they're going to get _terribly bored_ hanging around _here_ all day!"

"I'm sure they'll manage, sweetie."

"Well... should I tell them where we are then? They're probably going mad wondering where we've run off to."

"We're completely isolated, there's no one around, and there's nowhere to go but the TARDIS." Then, with a roll of her eyes, River smiled coyly and said, "But yes, I suppose you can go check up on them anyway. I'll manage."

I kissed her cheek and ran out the door. I heard Amy's laugh and headed in that direction.. Looking around the graveyard, I could see their coats lying in the grass between some bushes and tombstones. They'd wandered off quite a bit since I last saw them.

I ran over and stuck my head over the bushes, hollering, "_Hello again-_" just in time to see Rory taking off his shirt, with a nearly completely naked Amy lying underneath him.

My jaw dropped to floor. I froze, not being able to look away or say anything else.

"_Doctor!?_" shrieked Rory as he frantically tossed his shirt back on.

"What are you _doing_ here," Amy shrieked, her cheeks now bright red.

I finally managed to turn away, rubbing my eyes and smacking at the side of my head, hoping to get the image of them out of my head. (It wasn't working very well.) "I just wanted to see if Rory was still- um- _ginger." _I cringed at my own cover-story. I can't believe I almost let it slip that I was wondering if Rory was still alive. "Yeah, I thought I saw some grey hairs when I saw you a few minutes ago, but- no- still ginger- still Rory." If there had been a wall nearby, I would have been hanging my head against it repeatedly. Finally, my brain decided to work again- love it when that happens- and I realized something. "Wait, what _wouldn't_ I be doing here?"

"Well… we sort of saw you sneak off to the TARDIS with River," she answered.

"We figured you two would be… distracted," Rory explained. "So we thought we could, um- well, we thought we get distracted too."

"In a graveyard? That's-" Well, it was disgusting, morbid, dreadful, and disrespectful, among a million other things; but before I blurted out the first thing that came to mind, I thought up another genius plan. I had to think of _something_ to keep them distracted, and I was pretty sure this sort of thing takes people an hour or so,so why not let them have another go? So I plastered on a fake smile and said through gritted teeth, "That's a fantastic way to pass the time."

"What?!" Neither Pond could believe what I'd just said. I turned back around- and thankfully, by then, they were all covered up.

"You two have at it," I said, giving them two thumbs up as I backed away slowly.

Amy crossed her arms uncomfortably and asked, "Doctor? Could you not tell River about this? I think it's best this is all _forgotten_."

"Yes, yes of course. Already forgotten. I'll see you two later. Take your time. I won't come looking for you again- trust me." I waved awkwardly and walked anxiously away from them as quickly as possible, making a ruckus as I hurried into the TARDIS

"Back so soon?" asked River, as she leaned against the console of the TARDIS.

I shook my head, saying, "The things I just saw, River… never again."

"Ooh, do tell."

"Trust me when I say this: you don't want to know." My face must have said it all...

River buried her face in her hands, laughing, " Oh God, no! You don't mean they-"

"Yes."

Still amused, she cried, "In the cemetery?"

_"Oh yes_."

"So_ that's _where my naughty side comes from," she teased. "But going off that innocence in your eyes, you still haven't even _seen_ my naughty side yet, have you?" I swallowed and tried to keep my cool as River stepped dangerously close to me, backing me up against the wall. Her soft fingers grazed gently across my cheek as she leaned in slowly for a kiss. My knees went weak as her other hand slowly slid up my inner thigh. Just as our lips were about to touch, she pressed a finger to my lips and whispered "Maybe when you're older."

She'd turned around and left me there. My hearts were beating much faster than normal and it was almost hard to breathe. But completely disregarding me, River beckoned to me with one finger, simply saying, "Come on now, there's work to be done."

"I hate it when you do that," I mumbled.

"And that's exactly why I do it," she smiled. "I love seeing you get all flustered!"

Suddenly, the lights in the TARDIS surged back on. Incessant beeping followed shortly after. That's when I noticed the control panel was lit up and properly working. "You fixed her already?" I felt like a little boy on Christmas! "Oh, River, you saint! It's no wonder I keep you around!"

"She's not ready yet. She's downloading."

"What do you mean she's _downloading_?"

"She just needed to be restarted."

I stared at her in disbelief. "You can do that?"

"Of course! All machines have ways to be restarted. I had to connect some wires and press a few buttons, and that was it. All of the data you had in here is being restored and all of the automatic controls are being fixed. Hence, the beeping. The rest will just take a few more minutes and after that, we're free to go. Looks like we'll be out of here much faster than we thought."

"But there are still a bunch of parts lying around, and she looks pretty beat up- you still think she'll make it?"

"I don't see why not; those parts are just used to make her run a bit smoother," she told me.

"You're telling me the_ TARDIS_ used to run _smoothly_? That's a laugh."

"Just you wait, Doctor. This is about to be a bumpy ride, like you've never experienced."

"Then I'm glad I have someone to hold onto... Say, River, once we drop them off at home, where should we go? You and me, all of time and space… anywhere, anytime. Your choice, of course."

"If we're seriously dropping them off, Doctor, you can drop me off too... And who would you hold onto then?"

"...You're impossible."

The TARDIS suddenly started to shake vigorously. The beeping grew deafeningly louder. Every sound the TARDIS had ever made all went off at once, creating the most atrocious noise possible. Pieces of the TARDIS whirled rapidly around us, one almost hitting River in the head. She ducked and let out a surprised shriek. We continuously dodged the parts until I was able to reach out and wrap her up into a tight, protective hug. Never mind the parts hitting me on the shoulder or back; I hardly felt a thing when she was in my arms.

"What's happening?!" I shouted over the noise and confusion.

When she didn't answer, I glanced down to find River gripping onto my jacket and burying her face in my chest. Looks like some things _do_ scare Miss Song. Things she can kill with a gun are insignificant to her, I suppose, but when things get out of control, even _River_ could get scared.

I held her even tighter and kissed the top of her head. Vulnerable moments like this were so rare with her, and were more precious to me than I'd ever let on. But slowly, the commotion settled down, and River stepped away from me, casually looking around the TARDIS, acting completely indifferent. Though I'd expected it to be even more of a wreck than before, it was perfectly back to normal and all the parts were back where they belong.

"Now that's what I call a restart," she mused.

"What was all that? The noise, the shaking, the things hitting me in the neck?" I asked, giving myself a little neck-message.

"My guess is: the sounds were all being tested- the alarm, the ignition, the breaks… the beeping was supposed to act as a warning of some sort. Maybe when we first noticed it, we should have stepped outside. And as for the shaking, I think that was just the broken parts of the TARDIS being whisked back into place. You don't suppose we-" River hesitated, wide-eyed, then she rushed outside without another word.

I followed, of course, wondering what she what she was up to.

"Just checking that we didn't fly off to London or something," she laughed, attempting to hide the worry in her eyes.

I took her hand in mine and our eyes locked. Just like that, I think both our worries went away. "So! I've got my TARDIS, got my girl, now all we need are the Ponds, and... then we can leave, right?"

"Yes! Care to go get them, Doctor?" she teased.

"I think not," I laughed. "I actually told them to have another go!"

"You didn't," River cried. "You bad boy!"

"Well they had to pass the time, so I thought- oh never mind!"

"So what shall _we_ do to pass to pass the time, Doctor?"

River nodded back to the TARDIS and asked, "Shall we?"

I turned around and it only took me one brief look at the TARDIS, to agree, "Yes, I suppose we shall." River was right. It shouldn't be put off any longer. My poor, beautiful TARDIS looked so depressing all covered in mud, bird droppings, and cobwebs. "I'll get the sponges," I sighed.

"That's not exactly what I had in mind," she muttered. "But I'll get the soap."


	2. The Last Goodbye

******DISCLAIMER:**** Some dialogue from this chapter includes what was said in the actual episode. These parts are indicated through the use of page breaks;** parts 1, 3, and 5 of the story are not mine- I did not actually write those bits of the story/dialogue, and all credits go to BBC and Moffat. 

* * *

**RIVER'S PERSPECTIVE:**

We each tried washing a side of the TARDIS; I scrubbed away for about ten minutes, only to realize it wasn't coming clean, so I peeked over at how the Doctor was doing, but his side any much better either. As I suspected, we're just going to have to cover it all up with another coat. "It could do with a re-paint," I told him.

"I've _been_ busy!"

"Does the bulb on top need changing?" I asked.

"Just changed it," he answered.

Couldn't help but roll my eyes in response. I was getting bored out here- there's so much more the Doctor and I could be doing _inside _the TARDIS... if only he were at that level yet. But no- this Doctor hasn't even come close to shagging me yet, and I doubt he'd want his first time getting it on with me to be in a cemetery.

Then I remembered who actually _was_ was getting it on, right then and there, and I couldn't help but bring it back up, trying not to laugh. "So… Rory and Amy then?"

The Doctor scrunched his nose and flailed his arms, most likely replaying the whole scene in his head. "Yes, I know! I know!"

I then mimicked him, remembering his exact words from earlier on, "'I'm just saying, they're going to get _terribly_ bored hanging around here all day!"

He grumpily pointed at me and was about to tell me to _"knock it off,"_ or so I presume, but Rory interrupted, coming up from behind, calling for the Doctor.

Caught off guard, the Doctor zipped around and shouted, "HA!" He put best smile on and tried to pretend that we _weren't_ just talking about his sex life.

With Amy by his side, Rory came up to us, asking, "Next time, can we just go to the pub?

The Doctor's cheeks flushed a bright pink and he blurted out the first thing that came to his mind (as usual), "I want to go to the pub _right now_! Are there video games there?! I _love_ video games!"

_Oh, just a _little_ enthusiastic, _I laughed to myself. Not like I could blame him, though; it looked his plan to get us all out safely might actually work.

Rory and Amy exchanged a look of embarrassed amusement over the Doctor, and I wouldn't have been surprised if they retracted his invitation. Oh, how I was _loving_ the tension! "Right," I chimed in with a smile. "Family outing then."

* * *

The Doctor followed me into the TARDIS, clumsily tripping through it's entrance; Amy was next to follow, but before she really got in, Rory called her back.

While they were outside, I took the Doctor by surprise, pinning him against the wall, giving him a nice long kiss. His hands may have wandered a bit, but I'm _definitely _not complaining about that. I pulled away and held his cheek as I wiped my red lipstick off from around his mouth. The Doctor raised his eyebrows and murmured in my ear, "Now what was that for, Professor Song?"

"Like I said, I love it when you're flustered."

"So my embarrassment turns you on?" he asked slyly.

I looked him up and down, biting my lip as I turned to walk away, but the Doctor grabbed my hand and whirled me back to him for another kiss.

Just then, Amy's voice pierced through the air, as she shrieked for the Doctor.

We shared a brief look of horror before he scrambled out of the TARDIS.

My face turned pale white. My heart felt like one big ice block that'd been smashed into millions of pieces. I couldn't move. _Be brave,_ I told myself. I took a deep breath and swallowed the lump in my throat. "Be brave," I repeated aloud. "For him." So I put on my bravest face and stepped outside to confirm what I had already known.

Rory was gone.

* * *

Amy had her back to us, keeping her eyes on the weeping angel that took her husband away from her. "Where the hell did that come from?" she demanded.

The Doctor sonic'd the angel, saying, "A survivor. Very weak, but keep your eyes on it!"

"Where's Rory?" The heartbreak in my mother's voice was killing me. I couldn't bring myself to answer her.

The Doctor inched closer to the angel, trying to get a better look at the tombstone that lied beside it. From where I was standing, I couldn't read the name it held, but I didn't need to. I knew just by the way the Doctor's voice cracked as he apologized that it was Rory's grave. "Sorry," he uttered miserably, "Amelia- I'm so, so sorry."

I stiffened, knowing that if I let myself cry, my eyes would well up with too many tears to be able see the angel. As much as it hurt to be so cold, I couldn't allow myself to risk the lives of my mum and the one man I love more than anything. I kept all of my focus on the angel, and not on the nagging desire to hold onto my mum for dear life, or to wipe the tears off the Doctor's cheeks and kiss away the pain.

Amy shook her head desperately and told the Doctor, "No… No, we can just go get him in the TARDIS, one more paradox-"

"-Would rip New York apart," he insisted. "And I-"

"That's not true- I don't believe you," she mumbled.

I finally worked up the courage to speak up, however shaky I may have sounded. "Mother, it's true."

I watched in agony as Amy took a deep breath and walked up to the angel.

With ever passing moment, The Doctor became more and more horrified. "Amy?!" he cried. "What are you doing?"

"That gravestone- _Rory's_- there's room for one more name, isn't there?"

"What are you talking about?" The Doctor stared in fear and disbelief and begged her, "Back away from the angel!" He grabbed hold Amy's of arm, but she quickly shook him off. "Come back to the TARDIS! We'll figure something out!"

"The angel," she persisted, "would it send me back to the same time- to him?"

"I don't know! Nobody knows-"

"But it's my best shot, ya?"

He franticallyyelled, "No!"

"Doctor, shut up," I cried. "Yes! Yes it is!" The thought that my parents were so in love made me happier than it should have, considering I was about to lose my mum forever because of it. A single tear rolled down my cheek, and I couldn't help but smile; Amy couldn't live without Rory, just as I couldn't live without the Doctor.

"Amy-" the Doctor tried.

But Amy already made her mind up; "Well then, I just have to blink, right?"

"NO!" he screamed.

"It'll be fine, I know it will." Her voice was shaking, as she tried to be brave, saying "I'll- I'll be with him, like I should be. Me and Rory, together…" Hesitantly, Amy reached out her hand to me, "Melody-"

The Doctor turned to me, his voice crawling with desperation as he cried, "Stop it! Just- just- stop it!"

As I ignored him and stepped closer to Amy, The Doctor turned away, unable to bring himself to watch. We both knew what was coming: Amelia's last farewell. He hates endings, that man; he fears goodbyes more than a child fears the monsters in the closet.

I took Amy's hand and she gravely said, "You look after him. And you be a good girl." I kissed it softly as it trembled. Her grip tightened as she repeated, _"And you look after him!" _I gave her hand a gentle squeeze and stroked her hand comfortingly with my thumb; I doubted that she needed any further confirmation. She knew she could trust me to look after that man for as long as I live.

"You are creating a fixed time," the Doctor snapped out of frustration. "I'll never be able to see you again!"

"I'll be fine," Amy answered weakly. "I'll be with him."

"Amy! Please! Just… come back to the TARDIS." His voice gave out as he pleaded, "Come along, Pond... _p__lease_!"

Amy loosened her grip on my hand and I knew it was time to let her go; I lost all control of the emotions I'd been trying so hard to hide. Tears fell down my cheeks and it was suddenly harder to breathe.

Amy clenched her fists, struggled to catch her breath between her sobs, and finally cried out, "Raggedy Man-"

Forcing myself to lose sight of the angel, I looked instead at my mother, who spun around quickly to face the Doctor. Her blurry eyes met his, as she choked out one final word:

_"Goodbye!"_

* * *

The Doctor fell to the floor, completely destroyed. He reached out to touch the tombstone that now read _Rory Arthur Williams _and beneath it: _Amelia Williams. _

"_No!_" he screamed out, tears pouring down his cheeks.

It took everything inside me to not react the same way... but never mind me. One of us had to be strong; so I went to him and put my hand on his shoulder for support. He got up and looked at me with the saddest eyes I had ever seen.

I tried to take ahold of his hand so we could go _anywhere_ else, but he pulled away immediately. His facial expression turned dark and cold, his fists clenching up angrily. I backed away, even though he wasn't after me; he stormed over to the weeping angel, directing all his rage at her. _"You!"_ He tried to knock her down, but she didn't even budge. She just stood there, smiling devilishly as she pointed at the grave. "_You_ took them away from me! This is _your_ fault!" He repeatedly pushed the angel to no avail. Then, with the greatest amount of anger I have ever seen in him, he took one final shove at the angel, grabbing her from her shoulder and, finally, knocking her to the ground. The Doctor snapped. The blood-curdling anger and spine-chilling desperation in his voice as he shouted, "_Bring them back__!"_ terrified even me. Now panting, the Doctor stared at the Angel, consumed with absolute hatred.

For once, I didn't know what to do. I'd never seen him like this before. I've seen him hurt. I've seen him upset. I've seen him desperate, depressed, and even angry. But this... this was different. This was _hate- _the very definition of it. And he hated more than just the angel; he hated the world, he hated the cruelty of life, and worst of all, he hated himself. At that moment, he could've easily hated me as well. Either way, I took my chances.

I went right to his side and wrapped my arms around him. At first, he was stiff and unwavering. I only pulled him closer and rested my head against his chest. His chin fell upon my shoulder, and The Doctor cried like a schoolboy.

"I hate this," he eventually whimpered.

"Sh, I know," I told him. "I hate this too." After a few more moments of silence, I ran my hands down his back, admitting, "We should go." The Doctor pulled away in seeming agreement. "The angel's too weak to come after us. I know you don't want to leave them, but... we should go. Now."

The Doctor cocked his head to the side and arched his eyebrows, tears still falling gently from his eyes. "I could kill her," he said. "I've never wanted to kill anyone. Not once. Well... not _really_. But if she wasn't made of stone, if she wasn't so damn indestructible… I'd kill her."

He then turned his back on the angel and slumped back into Tardis. I stayed behind for a moment, choking to let out the deep breaths I'd been holding in to keep myself together. I did my best to shake it all off, wiping away the tears that'd been welled up in my eyes. Once I'd composed myself again, I braved into the TARDIS, finding the Doctor on the steps, sitting all hunched over, wiping off his tear-stained face.

"So where are we going now?" he asked quietly. His face looked near delusional; his eyes went all big and he gave a crooked smile as he laughed disturbingly, "_All of time and space!"_ He exhaled wistfullyhung his head, burying it again in the palm of his hands.

"As much as I'd love to whisk you off somewhere exciting," (_and try to salvage your sanity, _I thought to myself), "there's something a bit more important we have to attend to first." I looked regretfully at the Doctor and sighed, "I think it's time I pay a visit my grandfather."

He squinted up at me, confused. "What..?"

"Well, someone's got to tell that poor man what happened. And I don't think you're in any state to deliver the news yourself. So _I'll_ take care of it. Or we can go together if you like. Maybe we should wait until tomorrow though… it _has_ been a long day. And I've still got to write that book for you."

* * *

Thinking it over, the Doctor realized, "River. They're you're parents. Sorry. Didn't even think."

"Doesn't matter," I shrugged, planning ahead by programming in Brian's time and place into the Tardis.

"Of course it matters."

"What matters is this, Doctor," I said gravely, turning my attention on him. "_Don't travel alone_."

His face lit up with a little sparkle of hope. "Travel with me then."

"Whenever, and wherever you want." But as tempting as that was- as much as I wanted to just say '_yes, yes, God yes-' _I remembered that that could never work. If I travelled with him every day, he would see me age- as much as a Time Lady could, could watch me die. And if he had no other companion with him for that, who would be there to pick up the pieces? How would he ever recover? And then _I_ would be responsible for the downfall of the Doctor.

So I quickly shrugged off the offer and went back to work on the TARDIS as I continued, "But not all the time! One psychopath per TARDIS don't you think?" I knew that wasn't what he'd hoped to hear. And I knew it hurt him. "Okay," I said, blatantly changing the topic. "This book I've got to write, _Melody Malone-_ I presume I send it to Amy to get it published?"

"Yes… yes."

"I'll tell her to write an afterword… for you." I brushed past him and headed upstairs. Before leaving him, though, I added, "Maybe you'll listen to her."

I continued up the stairs and just barely heard the Doctor cry out, "The last page!" A moment later, the TARDIS door flung open and shut, and I was left alone in there to start writing that book.


	3. The Morning After

**RIVER'S PERSPECTIVE**

The Doctor was gone for hours. I had just finished writing the last chapter of "Melody Malone" when he got back.

After hearing the TARDIS door squeak open and shut, I went out into the hallway and leaned over the railing, finding the Doctor hunched over solemnly at the TARDIS console. "There you are," I called out as I hurried down the stairs. "What took you so long?"

The Doctor shrugged and held a single sheet of paper out to me. _Amy's forward!_ I read it over, and carefully told him, "What she asked of you… it's not right."

"I know," he muttered, "but it was the _last_ thing she asked of me, River."

Eying the Doctor and placing my hand on his, I reminded him softly, "You can't just pop on over to little Amelia Pond and go telling her about her future; that would change absolutely everything. I will _not _let that happen. Do you think anything would be the same if she no longer becomes the girl who waited?"

"Of course not, but maybe that's not such a bad thing." The Doctor pulled his hand out from under mine and grabbed hold of the controls. "If she didn't have to wait then, maybe she won't have to die _now_!" He immediately started reprogramming it for little Amelia's home.

I quickly caught his arms; begging him, "Don't do this. Your whole relationship would change! If she never waits all those years for you to return- if you go back and tell her she'll have to wait a few years to see you again- that she should go live her life in the meanwhile- do you think she'd still _care_ when you return? Do you _really _think she'd wait just for you? Without the mystery, without the obsession, without the _abandonment_-" He shook me off and programmed the year. The more he ignored me, the more panicked I became. "_Doctor!" _I pleaded. _"What if she forgets you?!"_

He froze. His fingers trembling off the console was the only sign of movement. A dead silence fell between us.

I winced, immediately regretting my choice of words. "_Donna__..."_

Without another word, the Doctor went briskly up the stairs. I followed him, of course, desperately calling after him, "I'm sorry- I'm so sorry, I wasn't even thinking!"

I hesitated as the Doctor went into his bedroom. Unsure whether or not he'd be okay with me going in after him, I stayed back at the doorway as I watched the Doctor sit on the bed. He stared at the ground as I tried to apologize once more. "Please, just know I… I'm sorry."

I turned to walk away, but the Doctor whimpered my name suddenly, "River, no. Don't go." I turned back around to see tears dropping down his cheeks. I quickly sat beside him and held his face as I brushed the tears away. He then buried his face in my shoulder and grabbed onto my coat, repeating, "Don't go, River. Please… Don't go."

"Sh, I'm not going anywhere." I ran my hand up his back and stroked his hair soothingly. I let him cry for a bit, but after a while, his sobs slowed to a stop. "Come on, sweetie, let's get some rest." I helped him lie down and slid over next to him. I held him in my arms and listened and listened as his breathing calmed down. It wasn't long before the Doctor was fast asleep. I kissed his head softly and finally fell asleep myself.

—- —- —-

I woke up the next morning and found that I'd rolled over in my sleep. I let out a little yawn as I turned back over to see the Doctor, who was still fast asleep. I watched him lie there for a moment before sitting up and giving his cheek a gentle kiss.

He squinted his eyes open and he smiled back at me as he reached up to run his hand through my hair.

"Well good morning, sleepy-head," I teased.

"Good morning indeed." He sat up and pulled me in for a deep kiss, his one hand going roughly through my hair. He tried to roll himself over me, but I forced him back and got on top of him, pinning him down.

After lots of good kissing, I finally pulled away and asked with a laugh, "What put you in such a good mood?"

"There's a gorgeous woman lying next to me, do I need any other reason?"

I eyed him expectantly, knowing there was something else going on.

He sighed and continued, "Yesterday's gone, it's done, it's over, and it's in the past. I've got you by my side, and I want you to know I don't take you for granted. I-" and just when I thought he'd finally utter the words, 'I love you,' he locked eyes with me and stopped short to caught his breath. "I intend on keeping you around a lot longer. So don't disappear on me, okay? I know we can't travel together all the time, but, I'll be holding my psychic paper close while you're gone, waiting for your call. I can't be sad forever- Amy wouldn't want that- and today, my life starts with you. Today, we can have our own adventure, just us. You, me, and Oktoberfest!"

"_Oktoberfest?"_ I asked with a laugh. "What prompted that one? I didn't even think you drank!"

"One beer... for Rory. He wanted to go to a pub, right? What better way to honor that than by attending Oktoberfest? Quick recap for you: the very first one was held in 1810, to celebrate the marriage between Crown Prince Ludwig and Princess Therese in Bavaria. Horse races, among other festivities, were held in the presence of the Royal Family. It was quite the event, but ironically enough, had nothing to do with beer. Breweries weren't even introduced to Oktoberfest until the late 1800s. So I was thinking we pop in around 1895. What do you say? Drinks on me," he grinned.

"Oh, I'd _love _it!" I exclaimed. But then I rolled off him and sat up against the headboard. "Unfortunately, I think you're forgetting something. Some _one_."

"…Brian. Right." The Doctor sat up beside me and asked, "How do I tell him? How do I even _begin_? I promised I'd keep them both safe, and… well, now he'll never see either one of them again."

"Why don't you leave this to me? I can talk to him." I offered sympathetically. "He may have lost his son and daughter in law, but he also gets to find out he's not alone- he's got granddaughter."

The Doctor nodded and braved the words, "I'll go with you."

"Are you sure?"

With half a smile, the Doctor replied, "Together, or not at all."

—- —- —-

The Tardis screeched to a halt right around the block from our destination. I held the Doctor's hand and we walked out together. Once we turned the corner, we both came to a stop, eyeing the place that Rory once called "home." Right out front was Brian, waving to neighbors and tending to his lawn. "That's him watering the plants," the Doctor murmured.

"I know," I told him. "Don't you remember? When I was a girl, I was a friend of Rory's. I've been inside that house countless times. Birthdays, after school snacks, slumber parties, dinners… I know Brian very well. He just doesn't know _me_."

"Well he's about to," the Doctor said, stating the obvious. "Are you ready?"

"As ready as I can be, yes. Are you?"

"I suppose."

He didn't have me convinced; I gave his hand a comforting squeeze, wondering when he would _really_ be okay again. Sure, he put on a good face, but his eyes were still heavy with sadness. And this morning was all a show- as enjoyable as it was- I knew all along he was just trying to cover up his pain for my benefit, like I'd always done for him.

As we walked up to the house, Brian looked up at us with a dreadful amount of excitement sparkling in his eyes. He ran right up to the Doctor and gave him an eager handshake, saying, "Doctor! Oh, Doctor, it's so good to see you! It's been months and I – well, I told myself I wouldn't worry- but I couldn't help it!"

The Doctor barely uttered so much as a "Hello," merely making a weak attempt at a smile in response. At a complete loss for words, he turned to me helplessly- his eyes all big, full of fear and nerves.

Brian followed his gaze and took notice of me. "Sorry for being rude," he chuckled. He shook my hand heartily and went on, "I'm Brian Williams. You must be another companion of the Doctor's?"

"Oh, I'm much more than that," I answered lightly, not ready to reveal who I was just yet. "My name is River Song."

"Well, River Song, it's so nice to meet you." Dismissing me, Brian turned back to the Doctor eagerly, asking, "So where are they anyway? Rory and Amy. Or _when_ are they, should I ask?"

The Doctor's face went stone cold. "I think we should go inside for this."

Brian's smile faded. Confusion and uneasiness consumed him. He hesitantly agreed, "Alright then…" and we followed him inside.

We went into his living room silently, each of us unsure of the next move. The Doctor and I each took a seat on one end of the couch, keeping to ourselves.

"Should I be sitting down for this?" Brian asked. But I suppose our faces said it all.

Brian slumped into the couch across from us and looked at us expectantly. The Doctor stared at the ground as I took over and recounted the story for him. "We were in New York- all of us- when these creatures called Weeping Angels attacked. They went after Rory and, after running away, creating a paradox, and nearly making it out alive… I'm sorry, but they got him."

_"No-"_

"They sent him back in time where he would live and die in Manhattan."

Brian wiped the tears from his eyes before giving them the chance to fall.

"Amy let the Angels take her," I continued. "She loved your son so much that she couldn't live without him."

Brian cried into the palms of his hands. The Doctor looked away, shaking his head as he finally managed to say, "I'm sorry, Brian. I stole them away from you. You trusted me, and- not long after- they're… they're…" he released a once deep breath and shielded his eyes with his trembling hands. I slid closer to him and wrapped an arm around him supportively.

That was when Brian leaned forward and surprised us both by asking, "You did all you could to protect them?"

The Doctor nodded. "Of course, I-"

"There was nothing more you could do?"

He nodded again. "Well, yes, but I-"

"No buts about it," Brian proclaimed. "That's all that matters. It's not your fault."

The Doctor perked up upon hearing that; in fact, I think those four words were exactly what he needed to hear most.

"It's okay, Doctor," he continued. "_I'll_ be okay. They chose to have the lives of time travellers. It's what they wanted, and it's what they got. You tried to protect them… and they didn't die alone. They had each other."

The Doctor looked at Brian uncertainly. "You're not mad at me then?"

As childish as it sounded, both Brian and I knew this was a serious matter for the Doctor. His friends are so precious to him, and yet, they always slip away from him one by one. So is he curse of the Time Lord.

"How can I be mad at you, after all you've done?" Brian's lips curled into a gentle, admiring smile. "Doctor, You showed those two more of the world than most people even dream about. You gave them adventures, you made them heroes… you gave them a whole new _life_."

"In more ways than one, apparently," he said with a nervous laugh, taking a brief, side-glance at me.

Taking that as my cue, I took a deep breath and met Brian's curious eyes. "Amy and Rory spent their nights together in the Tardis. One of those nights, they conceived a baby girl. Because this all transpired inside the Tardis, she was born part Time Lord, with the abilities to regenerate and to, potentially, live forever. Unfortunately, terrible forces took her away immediately. As a young child, she ran away and eventually found her way back to her parents, but it was much too early on - they were still children themselves. So she changed her identity; she would be known as Mels."

"Mels? But I _knew _Mels, she- no, that's not possible," Brian doubted. "…Is it?"

I smiled sympathetically, knowing how hard this must be for him to hear. "She had to disguise herself as nothing more than a friend, for many years, until time caught up with itself. You see, Amy and Rory had just lost their daughter to those aforementioned terrible forces, and yet, she was still standing beside them, finally able to reveal herself. She told them what I'm about to tell you." _Here goes nothing._

I glanced down momentarily to take a much needed breath, to notice that, at some point, my hand had found its way into the Doctor's, or vice versa. With a newfound sense of courage, I looked once more into Brian's eyes and announced confidently, "_I am Melody Pond_."

His face changed dramatically. Surprise? Doubt? Curiosity? Disappointment? Hard to tell with this one…

Nonetheless, my grin grew wider as I said, "Hello, Grandfather."

"I can't believe it!" he exclaimed. Brian let out a big laugh, despite his misty eyes, and continued with excitement, "I'm a grandfather? Oh, and look at you, all grown up. I see you got the good-looks gene from your _mum!_" He looked me up and down, taking it all in. "I only wish I could've known you all those years."

"But you did know her," the Doctor reminded him.

"Well, as my son's friend, yes. Not as my _granddaughter_. There must be so much I missed."

I got up and sat on the other sofa, right beside Brian, taking his hands in mine. "I sat at your dinner table nearly every night. You would sit me down and give me lectures whenever I caused trouble. You were at every birthday, every important graduation, every holiday… and on the coldest of nights, you would invite me to me sleep on this very couch. I never knew how you could've possibly known I had nowhere else to go, but I was grateful you did. And more grateful you never said a thing about it. Brian, I grew up with my family… sure it wasn't in the most conventional way, but I wouldn't change it for anything. And I promise I'll fill you in on everything later."

Brian flashed me the brightest smile and pulled me in for a tight hug. As he pulled away, he hesitated briefly before asking, "You're not- you're not _married _are you? Tell me I didn't miss another wedding!"

I glanced nervously at the Doctor, unsure of how to respond, but luckily, the Doctor had meanwhile noticed something on the coffee table. "Look at this," he mumbled quietly. Brian and I leaned forward as the Doctor turned a picture towards us.

"Oh, I remember that one," Brian laughed. "It was the first day of summer after fifth grade. No matter how cold it was, they insisted on having a water fight."

"Amy and Rory threw water balloons," I chimed in, remembering that afternoon perfectly. "I used a couple water guns, and Brian sprayed us with the hose. We were absolutely drenched! Look at my hair for God's sake! And you can practically see our goose-bumps!"

After the final bell rang, Amy complained the whole way home about how summer was meant to be warm and filled with water fights. She went on about how she'd seen it in films. 'School's out, sun's out, and the rest of the summer should be water fights and ice cream!' She even said that she wished her Raggedy Doctor would come back and whisk her off to somewhere warm.

Rory, trying to be her hero, jumped in and suggested, "Let's do it! Who cares how cold it is? Who says we can't have a proper water fight of our own, right now? I know we have some balloons left over from my last few birthday parties… we can fill them up and use those!"

As we hopped off the school bus, I went on about how ridiculous it all sounded. It was awfully chilly out, and all I wanted was a nice, hot cup of tea.

Amy, however, was fascinated. As far as Rory was concerned, that was all that mattered. And what else did I have to do for fun?

So off we went, scouring the garage for the balloons. Then, school uniforms and all, we filled up the balloons and started whirling them at each other in the backyard. Having noticed some water guns tucked away in the garage, I ran back in to arm myself, then hurried back out to soak them both.

Once the screaming and excitement all dwindled down, I had one of my ideas. I got that mischievous look in my eyes that Amy had learned not to trust. However, when they learned that I was planning a sneak attack on Brian, they were all-ears.

So we snuck in the house on our tiptoes, dripping wet, our muddy feet leaving tracks as we crossed through the living room. I led the way and found him in the kitchen, reading the paper, just where I thought he'd be. I signaled for Rory and Amy to follow, and they did, each raising and aiming their balloons quietly. I steadied my water guns, one in each hand, and whispered, _"Fire!" _

Brian looked up just in time to holler, "No, don't!"

But I was quick with the water gun and got him anyway. Amy and Rory continued to hover their balloons in the ready-position, but neither had the guts to throw. Brian then stood up angrily and even I backed down. "You three- come with me _right now._"

We trailed behind as he went outside, ranting about how we dirtied all his floors and how I'd ruined his newspaper before he got to the comics. He made us sit on the porch to 'Think about what we'd done' as he went to dry off.

"Mels, you always get us in trouble!" Rory wined.

"You went along with it, stupid," I said with the usual eye roll.

"I've never seen your dad so mad, Rory," Amy cowered, holding her wet, raggedy doll tight against her chest. "What's he gonna do?"

Before Rory had the chance to reply, Brian came up from behind us, hose in hand, shouting "This means war!" and spraying us all.

We quickly scrambled off the porch. I distracted him with my water guns as Rory and Amy ran back to grab their barrel of balloons. They struggled to make it back, of course, carrying the whole barrel without my help. Once they made it out, they plopped the thing down and began hurling their balloons at me as well as Brian. Admittedly caught off-guard, I spun around to get them back.

Brian grabbed his arm around my waist and hoisted me over his shoulder, positioning me right above Amy and Rory, screaming, "Get 'em Mels!"

We ran around like that for what felt like hours, and yet not nearly long enough. Our clothes were sopping wet and the once beautifully green lawn was now a filthy mud bath.

Brian noticed a neighbor passing by and asked him to take our picture real quick… I guess he'd kept it after all these years.

There was Brian, on one end, pointing the hose at us, in attack-mode. On the other end, Amy was crouching down, hiding beside that barrel of balloons. Standing above her was Rory, who had one arm reached out protectively in front of her, while the other was about ready to throw another balloon. Then there was me, right in the middle, pointing my water guns directly at the camera.

After the photo was taken, I ended up squirting the neighbor's crotch. Safe to say, he wasn't too happy with me after that.

Now, I looked up at Brian as he said, "Well look at that. A family photo."

"Sweetie, you have to see this," I beamed, beckoning for the Doctor to come over. He wasted no time hurrying to squeeze in next to me as I pointed straight at Amy, who could be seen clutching her raggedy doctor-doll to her chest. "You're in it too."

His expression softened, and he faintly repeated, "A family photo."

I looked into those sad eyes of his and knew what he was thinking- it's probably the only one we have.

Brian studied us for a moment and chuckled, "Don't tell me you married _this _bloke!"

"Kind of," the Doctor answered with a guilty smile.

"It's complicated," I laughed.

"Then I suppose a 'Congratulations,' is in order" he said happily. "_Sort of_."

"So Brian," the Doctor started with a mischievous smile. "If you could travel anywhere and any-_when_, where would it be?"

"Oh, no, I can't…" he answered, rather unconvincingly.

"Of course you can!" the Doctor eagerly pressed. "One day- that's all you'll be gone. One day- whaddya say?"

A slow smile crept on his face. "I suppose there _is_ one place I'd like to go…"


	4. A Rotten Mistake

**THE DOCTOR'S PERSPECTIVE**

"So!" I said eagerly as I rubbed my hands together. "Where to then?"

Brian hesitantly responded, "Well… I'm not sure it's even possible. It might involve a… a _paradox_, as Rory called it."

"I'm sorry, but the timelines are far too scrambled to go back and visit their graves, if that's what you're thinking."

"Oh, _no_- not at all. I'm not sure that's something I could handle anyway. There is something else though… I want to go back in time."

"As you wish," River chimed in. "Where to?"

"St. Rose's Hospital."

River, after having exchanged a puzzled expression with me, asked, "What for?"

"To sort of make up for a past mistake," he began uneasily. "You see, after many sleepless nights of remaining beside my very pregnant wife, Rory was a week overdue and Lily was getting anxious. She kept insisting her labor had started, said she was in pain and that she was having contractions, but the doctors kept sending us back home; the baby wasn't coming. After a very convincing round of contractions, we checked her in and decided to wait it out at the hospital."

"You mean she _still _wasn't in labor?" River gawked.

"Unfortunately not. The doctors did say that sort of mistake wasn't as rare as it seemed, though- said it was perfectly normal. But to be honest, we were tired of taking her to and from the hospital. So for five days, I sat, ate, and slept beside her, while she remained all laid out in one of those beds, just waiting for him to be born. After the week passed, though, my wife Lily decided to get me out of there for a bit. 'Go to work,' she insisted. But when I told her I wasn't going to leave any time soon, she told me to relax, 'the baby's not going to come out any time soon, either.'"

"Why didn't she just induce?" River wondered.

"Oh, the doctors would've loved if she had! She kept refusing- wanted it to be natural. Don't ask me, that was all her decision. I would've gladly had the labor induced." After clearing his throat, Brian continued, "Well, anyway, she wouldn't let me stay in the hospital any longer. 'Go on,' she nagged. 'One of us needs to make money for our family, and I can't do it from this blasted bed!'"

"So you left?" I presumed.

Ignoring the question, Brian explained, "I knew she'd made up her mind, and since work was a mere half hour away, I figured that if there was any change, the hospital would page me and I could still make it in plenty of time for the delivery. Plus, I knew that my leaving would be the only way to calm her down. So, yes… I left."

"Aha! I knew it," I grinned, turning to River with raised eyebrows, completely impressed with myself. She shook her head at me disapprovingly, however, so I bit my lip and let Brian tell the rest of his story. "Right. Sorry. Go on."

"Lily went into labor just as I was getting to work, and I couldn't be reached. Stupid me- I misplaced the pager!" Brian shook his head at the memory. "It took me _hours_ to notice. When I finally realized it wasn't in my pocket, I tore through my office in a mad search. I eventually came to find that I'd left it in the car. I didn't even bother telling the boss I was leaving, I took off for the hospital and rushed as fast as I could. Of course, the one day I go the _slightest_ bit over the speed limit, I get pulled over!"

"What bad luck," River sympathized.

"Tell me about it. Not only did that take forever, but I got myself a lovely three-figure ticket to top it all off," he mumbled. "But anyway, when I finally got to the hospital, after scrambling on up to the third floor and running all the way down the halls- I saw him, already born. There he was- my baby boy- all wrapped in his new blankey, being passed on to Lily by one of her doctors and his lady-friend. I missed absolutely _everything_."

I grimaced simultaneously with River, realizing exactly why Brian wanted to go back. She put her hand on his for comfort, as he resumed, "I just want to see my little Rory being born."

River and I subtly exchanged troubled glances, wondering if what he was asking was even possible. I shook my head doubtfully, "Brian, I really don't think we—"

"_Please_." His face was filled with desperation and hope… and it broke my hearts.

If I could do _one __thing _to make this man's life just the _slightest_ bit better, to help right the great amount of _wrong_I'd done by him… oh, I swear I'd do it.

"Oh, all right," I caved. "You'll have to look on from outside of the room, though. You can't go in and hold him. Now _that_ would create a paradox."

"And probably a lot of confusion when your other self walks in," River added. "Could you imagine- suddenly having two Brians in one room!"

"Completely understood," he replied with a salute. "I promise I'll stay out of sight."

"To the TARDIS then," I exclaimed, already halfway out of the house. "Come along then!"

I led them back to my TARDIS, where Brian stopped to stare in awe; he stood at the doorway, peaking his head in and out a few times before settling in. "I'd forgotten how big it was in here!"

Just as he was about to sit on the steps, I called him over, saying, "Brian, I need you here for a moment." He came over, as dutiful and ready as ever, and I instructed, "Enter the address of the hospital."

"Actually," River said, "_Coordinates_ work better."

"Well, yes," I admitted. "That's only if you know them. Just be specific, Brian."

Of course, I knew I could do all this faster on my own, but Brian was always so fascinated by this sort of thing- why not improve his day just bit? "Good," I commented, hovering over his shoulder. "Now you've got to enter the date. Be as specific as you can- down to the minute preferably."

"…What if I don't remember the minute?" he asked, embarrassed.

"Guess, I suppose. Like I said, be as specific as you _can." __Thinking that over, I corrected myself, _"It doesn't hurt to go earlier rather than later, or you could miss it all over again. Wouldn't want that. So! Have you got it ready?"

Brian nodded as he stepped away from the console.

"Off we go then," River announced. Then, taking a (rather offensive) side-glance at me, she warned Brian, "Hold on tight."

– - – - – -

When the TARDIS came to a stop, I immediately hopped out to take a look around, but Brian had actually managed to land us inside a dumpster. The second I landed in it, I was so caught off guard that I lost my footing and fell face-first into the full-to-the-brim garbage box. I didn't know it was possible to have such poor aim, honestly. But there I was, slowly sinking into horribly foul-smelling rubbish.

"Honey," River called out. "Let's park her elsewhere, don't you think? …And perhaps you should rinse off- I like dirty _minds_, not dirty _men."_

I stumbled on my way back to the TARDIS, trying to shake something suspiciously gooey off my ankle along the way, but I lost my balance instead. River (however reluctantly) reached down and grabbed my arm, giving it a good pull. Unfortunately, she pulled a bit too hard and I ended up falling right on top of her. I lifted myself up a bit and brushed her coat off for her. "Emm…Sorry, River."

"Oh, Doctor!" She muttered, lightly pushing me away. "Look what you've done."

"Sorry!" I said again, getting all flustered.

As I was about to get up, River held onto my arm, pulled me in close, and murmured with a devilish smile, "Now we've _both_got to rinse off."

My eyes widened and my jaw hung open. No matter how often she slipped in those flirtatious remarks, I still couldn't help but get a little surprised by them (and a _lot_ excited!) I'd really wanted to give River a kiss right then, but the filth was definitely a mood-killer.

So I stood up hastily and brushed off my trousers as River let out a soft laugh, bemused by my eagerness. She then extended her hand to me, and I helped her up. Noticing an old french fry tangled in her hair, I apologized again as I got it out for her.

River grimaced in disgust. "We're about to rinse off anyway, Sweetie. Can we hurry in, though? I feel like the Slitheen!"

I gave a quick nod and we turned around, automatically holding hands, ready to run up the TARDIS steps and jump in the shower… only to find Brian standing defiantly at the base of the staircase, his arms folded across his chest. "Doctor. Don't care much for the flirting. That's my granddaughter, and she can rinse _herself_ off, thank you."

"Right," I said, stifling an embarrassed laugh. "Well then… um, ladies first. Go on."

Once upstairs, River made sure Brian was still at his post, keeping his eyes on me. She then met my gaze and slipped out of her dress, revealing herself to be in classy-but-sexy black lingerie.

Brian must've noticed my quite obvious gaping, because he tried to turn around, however slowly, trying to both keep his attention on me, while also trying to see what was keeping _my_attention. But River winked at me and scurried into the bathroom, dress in hand, before Brian could see. Moments later, the faint sound of running water echoed throughout the TARDIS.

I leaned against the console and studied Brian. "So protective," I noted.

He looked at me like I was stupid. "Well, of course. She _is_ family, after all."

"Yet you hardly know her," I reminded.

"Doesn't matter, we Williams stick together."

"That's another thing…" I started carefully. "She's not _exactly_ a Williams."

Brian's eyes grew so big I thought they'd explode. "What 'exactly' are you trying to say? River told me that _Rory_was her father! And who else was Amy even with besides– _you!?_I thought she was a Time Lord because she was made in the TARDIS not because you— but that makes River your– _no… no, that's sick!"_

My mind was _racing_. Was Brian _actually_ implying that I'd had any sort of… _interactions_ with Amelia Pond? -That River was my wife _and_my daughter? "That's not it all- I only meant that she's Melody _Pond_. She took her mother's name! This family may be a bit out there, but it doesn't go _that_far, mate. "

"…Ah." Brian took a sigh of relief, "Maybe you should've led with that. Nonetheless, she's family and I love her as much I did Rory and Amy."

"You never even doubted her," I recalled.

"Why would I do that?"

"If some strange girl waltzed into the TARDIS, calling me dad, or granddad for that matter, I'd sure need more proof than her say-so."

"But I _did_have more than her say-so. I had _yours._ I consider you my friend, and I trust you enough to not be bringing home a psychopath and trying to pass her off as my granddaughter."

"Don't let River fool you- she is _one hundred percent_a psychopath!"

It was Brian's turn to study me. "You love her, don't you?"

I looked away to hide my blush. "Well, I married her, didn't I?"

"'Kind of,'" he smirked. "You said you were 'kind of' married."

"You really don't want the details of that one, Brian," I brushed off. "Involves me being inside a fake me, a last minute wedding without a proper proposal or consent of any kind, and the whole of time sort of revolving around and depending on us. _Complicated._"

"So have a do-over. Do it _right_. You love her, and that isn't that complicated at all, son."

"Nah, River wouldn't care for that much," I shrugged. "Too sappy and boring, I think. She'd rather be out there, saving the world, guns a'blazing."

"How would you know if you haven't _asked?" _

I thought it over and, well, he was right. I didn't want to be her 'kind of' husband- I wanted to be her husband. And the more humans we were bound to meet, the more they'd want to know things, like how I proposed or how extravagant everything was, and, frankly, I wanted to have the perfect answer. I _did _want it to be on par with the other fairytale adventures we always had. Not just for me, but for her… for us. "You've got a point, Bri. If she says yes, you'll be the first to get an invite! Oh and… I should've asked before, but how much time do we have to find the hospital?"

Thrown by the topic change, he answered, "We, um… We've got- let's see- a little over an hour, it seems. No rush."

A sudden quiet filled the air as the water upstairs was shut off. Brian stuffed his hands in his pockets and looked at me, as if surrendering, saying, "Sounds like she's out now… I suppose I'll let you start up, but no funny business, do you get that?" I gave a salute and hurried clumsily up the stairs.

Much to my dismay, River had already slipped into a fresh, new outfit. She wore a simple white top- which rested right above her chest to reveal only a _hint_ of cleavage- and she had just slid up a pair of black jeans as I walked in.

River couldn't have been less interested in me, though. After barely taking one step towards her, she turned away, clipped her vortex manipulator on around her wrist, saying over her shoulder, "Your turn."

While she was still glancing in my direction, I unbuttoned my dress shirt one by one and let it fall to the floor, trying my best to be alluring, but the only reaction from River was, "Oh, sweetie, _no_- leave the strip-teasing to me." She grabbed a brush and blow dryer and headed off to her bedroom.

Thirty minutes later, I stood in front of my bedroom mirror, adjusting the new bow tie I'd bought for myself right before the trip to Manhattan. I'd been planning on saving it for my first official date with River, but I was dressing to impress to make up for earlier.

It was a lovely little bow tie: the color was a deep, dark blue that almost appeared black. It had small white stars scattered about in the form of the Lyra Constellation (which actually makes the outline of a bow tie! A bow-tie in a bow-tie! Aren't I clever?)

I clipped on my dark blue suspenders over my pale, powder blue dress shirt, slicked back my hair, and excitedly ran down the stairs. "Ah, much better!"

"Indeed," River winked. "Except for that bow-tie of yours…"

"I thought you'd like it," I whined, self consciously rocking back on my heels.

"Not as much as I'd like to _burn it_," she laughed. But, as I reluctantly started to take it off, she had a sudden change in heart. "No, no, _leave it_. I was only kidding. It's not that bad- I mean, it's not as bad as the _fez_…"

"I liked that fez," I grumbled. "Fezzes are cool. What've you got against fezzes?"

"Bow ties… fezzes… suspenders…"

"What've you got against my _suspenders?" _I wailed in a huff.

She moved in closer and she arched an eyebrow slyly, admitting in a hushed tone, "All those silly accessories just get in the way when-"

Brian interjected with a cough, as if to remind us he was still around. (And honestly, I think River and I _both _needed a reminder that he _was_.) "Not to interrupt, but the flirting can wait. I'd rather be trying to find our way to the hospital. Thirty minutes or so left…"

"Right," I hollered, as I made my way to the console.

River beat me to it, though, saying, "Nice try, sweetie, but we both know she prefers to take her orders from _me_. And I'm not aiming to land in another dumpster, thank you very much."

I was ready to protest, _That wasn't even me,_ but I decided to let her win just this once. I sighed and gestured to the controls. "She's all yours. Too bad we don't know the coordinates, or we-"

"Just leave that to me," she smirked, without taking her eyes off the console.

– - – - – -

After landing (more smoothly than my pride would have liked to admit), I opened the door carefully, peeking my head out, as to not repeat my earlier mistake. I looked up at the tall building before me and turned right back around, wearing a big grin. "Found it!"

Though the sun was setting, and the front sign was hard to read, I could still make out enough to know we were in the right spot. The others stepped out of the TARDIS behind me as I read aloud, "_St. Rose's Hospital…_ Geronimo!"

We had Brian lead the way, and, after a lot of hiding behind walls, popping our heads around corners, and running quickly down halls (to not accidentally bump into past-Brian or someone he knew), we finally ducked into a vacant corner room. There was nothing inside it but a little closet in the back and hospital bed. The room had a large glass window that overlooked the hallway, and we kept the lights off to be sure we were out of sight.

Brian walked hesitantly up to the window, peering into the hallway longingly. He put his hand up to the glass and his breathing became noticeably heavier than before.

I went up beside him and asked, "What is it?"

River leaned into me, whispering softly in my ear, "Look beyond the hallway- doesn't someone look a bit… familiar?"

I finally noticed; on the other side of the hallway, there was another room, completely lit up, with a very pregnant woman lying in bed. She had gorgeous strawberry-blonde hair that downplayed that oddly large shaped nose of hers. Her smile was bright and quite contagious- her doctor and nurse both seemed to be completely drawn to her. They stood huddled around her bed, trying to get through reading her charts, but were obviously too busy talking and laughing instead.

"That's my wife," Brian said at long last. "That's Lily."


	5. Sour Patch Problem

**THE DOCTOR'S PERSPECTIVE**

We each took a seat side by side on the hospital bed, watching as the doctors finished up with Lily's charts and walked out, leaving her to get some rest.

She woke with a start moments later, grabbing her belly in pain and calling for her nurse. By the time she came rushing in, though, Lily seemed back to normal. She handed her a cup of water and scribbled something on her charts before leaving once again, this time, in a hurry.

"Those contractions- they were real this time, weren't they?" River asked.

Brian answered a simple nod of his head. "I can't believe I left her alone for this."

The nurse soon returned with Lily's doctor. They put on some fresh gloves and draped a curtain to cover Lily up from public view. We couldn't see exactly what was going on, but every so often, the ruckus from the contractions were hard to not notice (such as a cry for pain or the one time her hand shot out and grabbed hold of the curtain).

After about half an hour of this, I was getting restless. "Is there a snack machine here?" I asked, sliding off my seat.

River shot me a glare and hushed, "_Not now_."

"I'll only be gone a minute," I groaned, already on my way out the door. "I just want some sours."

"You haven't got any money on you, I bet," she called.

_Rats. _I reached in my pockets and pulled out my psychic paper, hoping River wouldn't call me out on it.

She did. "Doesn't work like that, Sweetie. Especially not in a vending machine! After a thousand or so years on this planet, I'd thought you would've learned a few things by now."

I shot River a look that begged her to leave me alone and, fortunately, she took the hint. "Lucky for you, I snagged a fiver from my bags before we left the TARDIS. Come on, I'll take you."

"Oh, alright." Not that I needed a chaperone, I just happened to like her company. I turned to Brian and instructed, "Stay here. Don't wander off and you'll be just fine. Oh! But if you should need us, call me."

I handed him a mobile I'd picked up for such occasions, saying, "I always get separated from companions at some point so I figured I'd pick up a few of these handy little things and reprogram them to get service in all times and places. Here's yours. My number's already been programmed. Well, mine and a Pizza Hut. But in case of an emergency: _don't_ _phone_ _Pizza Hut._ Now we'll be back in a few, excuse us."

I took River's hand and we went casually down the halls, not particularly paying attention to where we were going. I avoided looking into the rooms and cringed at every patient we passed. I _hate _hospitals.

"So what's with you anyway?" River asked.

"Sorry, what?"

"Well I don't believe for a nanosecond that this is just about _sours_," she pressed. "So what's wrong? Babies not your thing?"

"No, I- I've had kids before. I've seen the whole labor thing, contractions and whatnot. I just- I don't like this bit," I confessed. "She's in so much pain and you can't help. _I_ can't help. That's not what I do. I _help." _

Not to mention, all of this reminded me of Demons Run. I couldn't help but replay the events that took place there, over and over again in my mind; Amy's horror of losing River right after having her- not being able to be a mum to her- me, not being able to fix anything- it was all coming back in painful flashes I'd rather not be having. But I wasn't about to burden her with that.

"Of course," River sighed. "I want to help her too. But she'll be just fine- we already know that."

"It's not just her, it's this whole place. Why did I agree to this again?"

"Because you couldn't deprive Brian of this. He needs to see his son one last time; he needs this. You did the right thing. What happened to _your_ kids, though, if you don't mind my asking? I so rarely hear you mention them that I practically forgot all about them."

"_I _didn't. It's a long story, though," I said vaguely. "One wasn't even technically _born_, she was _created_. Didn't make her any less mine, but… she died. Another, I had the pleasure to raise until she was sixteen, and then she- well… like I said: long stories, each of 'em. Now where on Earth are we going?"

"What?" Thankfully, she let me drop the subject. "I figured you knew the way."

"Well I was following _you_."

"And _I_ was following _you," _she laughed. "…Which I suppose was a mistake. Come on, I remember seeing one on the first floor."

We picked up the pace a bit and turned the corner leading to the staircase, only to stop dead in our tracks. We'd come face to face none other than a weeping angel. _Again._

Both hands covered her face, and she was hunched over, as if she'd actually been weeping. In her cement-hair was a crown of flowers- a thing of beauty she didn't deserve to wear.

With shivers running down my spine, I went to inspect her with my sonic screwdriver, but River seized my arm, holding me back. "Doctor, look at it. _Really_ lookat it. It's a perfectly ordinary statue."

I hesitated, giving the statue a once-over, reluctantly (and silently) agreeing with River. It _did _look fairly permanent. It'd definitely been there long enough to fade the wall behind it. I still didn't like the coincidence, though- not that I ever really believed in coincidences in the first place- but this was all a bit _too_ coincidental.

"Just think," River continued, recognizing my distrust. "The odds of an angel making it past all the nurses, doctors, patients, and families _completely undetected_ are slim to none. Plus, weeping angels aren't peaceful by any means; there'd be talk of missing patients or staff."

When I was still hovering my sonic in the air, River insisted, "Oh, for heaven's sake- this is St. Rose's hospital and it's got a crown of roses on its head."

"Sad, isn't it?" piped in a voice from behind. The Doctor and I whipped around in surprise, to find a nurse staring at the statue in awe.

Suspicious of the young woman, I asked, "I'm sorry, _what?_"

She folded her arms across her chest and scanned us inquisitively. "Haven't you heard the stories?"

River traded a bewildered side-glance with me. She scrunched up her nose as she lied, "We're not from around here. Just visiting my parents. My mum's sick, so we made the trip. Anyway, care to fill us in?"

"The stories all vary," she started. "Some say it represents a deceased patient watching over the hospital's current patients. Others say she's the image of a goddess who has seen enough suffering and was sent here to bless everyone in here. I've heard versions of her being a mother who lost her child, a young woman who lost her parents or her siblings. Whichever way you spin it, it's absolutely depressing."

"So which version's the truth?" I wondered.

"And why keep it around?" asked River.

"Thing is, I don't really know. If any of those tales are even _true_, I've got no idea; only been working here a few months and the statue predates me. Everyone seems to like it though- call it a blessing."

"And you?" I asked.

"A blessing? Not sure about that. What I _do _know is that it's depressing to look at. Gives my heart a bit of a sinking feeling, you know?"

River and I nodded our heads and mumbled our thank-yous as we continued to eye the… _statue. _The nurse took her leave accordingly, and River resumed her scolding.

"I know it's hard, Sweetie, but you can't be paranoid every time you see one of these things. Come on_,_let's go."

I slowly nodded my head, realizing she was right, as usual. "Sorry, I- I could've sworn-"

"I know." River's hand grazed mine and our fingers laced together automatically. She looked at me with a soft, supportive smile on her lips, and I gave her the nod- the nod that gave my consent to let the angel-stuff go.

Together, we continued past the statue and went downstairs to resume our sugar hunt. Unfortunately, we were lost. The "vending machine" River had seen earlier had been a false positive; it only vended water bottles and sodas.

Now, I still don't know if it was because of the whole angel/statue-distraction or because of the size of the hospital, but after deciding to continue our search, we'd gone down countless halls, passed through many doors, and even tried going up and down the stairs to different floors.

Finally, I told River I was asking for directions. She demanded that she was capable of finding her way to a blasted vending machine, but I just went ahead anyway.

"Excuse me," I asked a nearby nurse. "Where is there a vending machine here?"

She kindly directed us back to the third floor, where we started the search in the first place, along with a series of directions. "Take the elevator there, turn left, and go straight down the hall. Take a right and it'll be right there!"

We followed her directions until, lo-and-behold, we finally found it. I used River's money to get some Sour Patches and opened them with a big grin. She snagged a piece (before I even got to put my hand in the bag), snickered, and headed down the hall ahead of me. I popped a sour in my mouth and watched her walk away briefly, before following her down, taking her hand in mine. I was practically skipping like a schoolboy until I noticed it.

I came to an immediate halt and practically stopped breathing. My hearts pounded so frantically, they nearly beat right out of my chest.

"What is it?" River asked, giving my arm a good shake.

Without shifting my gaze, I wondered as calmly as possible, "River, do you notice anything missing?"

River looked around us, then squinted at me like I was mad. "What is it? What do you mean?"

"It was here, I'm sure of it." I crouched down and felt the hardly noticeable traces of residue, pressing, "River. _Why_ would anyone move a perfectly good statue?"

Her eyes shot wide open. We shifted our stare towards the faint shadow on the wall and both our worlds froze. The longer we gaped at it, the more clear it became that that shadow was indeed cast by that blasted statue. _Angel_.

_"Bloody hell,"_ she cursed breathily.

Without another word, River and I tore down the hallways. We checked every room we passed, searching for the angel, _praying _that it hadn't yet reached Lily.

One ring shot out from my mobile and I whipped it out, trying to keep up the pace. I answered it immediately, and attempted to shout out for Brian between huffs.

_"Doctor,"_ he cried. "Doctor, _where are you?!__"_

_"_The weeping angel- have you seen it?"

"The _what?"_

_"_The statue! Is it there?"

"No- Its Lily! It's after _Lily_! One minute, her doctors were all in there, the next, there's this statue in her room and the doctors are gone!"

"Hold on, Brian," I shouted. "And don't take your eyes off that statue!"

_"What?!"_

"Don't even blink!"

River and I ran faster than either of us had before. We dodged everyone who wasn't smart enough to jump out of our way and headed straight for Lily's room. We hurried in and I sonic'd the angel like I should have _in the first place_. "I am so sick of you lot," I muttered as I paced the room, thinking up a plan.

"Who are you people?" Lily asked, clearly pain-stricken. "Where are my doctors? What's that thing doing here?"

How do you tell a woman in labor that her nurses and doctors were killed by a statue that came out of nowhere? …Ah, right, you don't. "They're, well, they're gone." I said, shrugging her off. "Took a break for supper. I've got you covered now."

"But I'm about to have a baby! I _need_ my doctor!" she shrieked.

I stared out the window, looking out into the dark alleyway outside. "I'm a doctor," I told her. "I'm _the_Doctor, actually, but, well, minor details. Nevertheless, I'll be taking over from here on out. And this is my wife, sort of. Doctor Song. She'll take good care you, promise. Now both of you stay here and keep your eyes on that statue. I'll be right back."

"Where are you going?!" she demanded.

"I'm The Doctor-"

"Yeah," she groaned. "You just said that."

"Well, what I _didn't _say is- I'm _extremely_ clever," I answered with a wink. "Hold on."


	6. A Bad Stinkin' Plan

**THE DOCTOR'S PERSPECTIVE**

It was probably the most ridiculous plan I'd ever had, but it was worth a shot.

I went door-to-door to the nearby rooms and told every single staff member I came across that I was a policeman. I flashed my psychic paper at them, revealing my "badge," saying they had to do everything I asked or their lives were all in serious danger. Luckily, they all listened blindly, and they quickly followed me back to Lily's room.

I held the door as they all shuffled in; twelve- twelve's a good number, right? Five doctors, six nurses, and a janitor- that should be enough. Before going in myself, the door across the hall opened slightly and Brian peeked out of his room.

"Doctor," he called. "Let me help- my _wife_ is in there." I shook my head grimly, but that didn't stop him from asking questions. "What's going on in there?! I- I can't see beyond the curtain- is Lily all right? You've _got _to tell me, _please!_"

I was about to give him a proper answer when I heard shrieks from behind. I turned back to see flickering lights and a very panicky crowd. So I gave Brian my most apologetic face, shook my head again, and hurried into Lily's room, where I was immediately bombarded with questions.

The help were all desperate to know what was happening, not to mention how long this would take- they had patients to get back to. A nurse, wondering why I'd moved the statue, and wondering why it's face went "all wrong." The janitor, asking if he was in any sort of trouble. Another nurse, pointing out to be mindful of the patient, whom we'd all barged in on. The patient, Lily, demanding to know what all the fuss was about and why there were suddenly so many people in her room.

Meanwhile, I was slightly more focused on the fact that the angel had _moved. _She was one step closer to Lily. Her body was in attack-mode. Her face was vicious, her teeth fully ready to slice through anyone who got in her way. River's face was grim and almost frightened, her eyes fixated on that angel. I know she must've blinked. She didn't mean to, but another mistake or two like that, and Lily- not to mention Rory- would be toast.

As the shouting continued, I glanced from person to person as they all talked at once, forcing me to ignore every question shot my way, which only created more worry and confusion.

"What's going on?"

"Well-"

"Where did that even come from?"

"Um-"

"Get out of my room!"

"Let me explain-"

"How'd this thing get in here?"

"What's wrong with its face?"

"Please, listen, it's-"

"Why do the lights keep going out?"

"I'm trying to have a baby here!"

One after the other. All at once. I couldn't get words out fast enough.

"Why's it looking at her like that?"

"What's happening?"

"It's coming!"

"This reminds of a film I-"

"Why'd you get _us_- couldn't you have called for backup?"

So quick to fly off the handle, make assumptions, make mountains out molehills… this is why I only work with a handful of humans at a time.

"Are we in trouble?"

"I need to get back to my patient, I should go-"

"What do you need us for anyway?"

"Can I see that badge again?"

"Are we in danger?"

"Why aren't you answering us- _why isn't he answering us?_"

"Oh, _shut it." _Luckily, River's sudden snark got everyone's attention. Even I was taken by surprise. But she'd been there the whole time- standing in the middle of the chaos, having not said a single thing until that moment. All our eyes turned to her, while she never took her eyes off the weeping angel. "How about you all shut your busy little mouths for one fraction of a second and hear this man out?" she continued. "There's a lot more at stake here than any of you will ever know. What you're about to do is become heroes. I honestly don't know what he's got planned, but I can assure you, it will save your lives along with the lives of all your patients. So _please, _for the love of sanity, shut up_."_

She fumbled backwards and found a seat next to Lily, holding her hand, her eyes not drifting away from the angel for one moment. "It's going to be okay," she reassured her.

I shot her a quick, appreciative smile- not like she'd notice. Meanwhile, a taken aback two-dozen eyes were thrust back upon me, expectantly.

"I know you're all confused," I started. "And I- I can't give you answers. Even if I could, they wouldn't matter right now. What I _can_ give are commands. We don't have much time. This woman is about to have a child, and if we don't act quickly and carefully, then all of us, including this woman and her would-be son, are going to die. It might not make a lick of sense, but do as I say and everything will go back to normal… That sounds good, eh? What do you think?"

Everyone nodded, some more hesitant than others, but they all agreed. Lily was the only one to ask questions this time 'round, but this time, they were lighthearted and filled with cheery laughter.

"A son? I'm- I'm having a son? I'm having a _boy?_ Oh, I completely thought it'd be a girl! Good thing we went neutral with the room… I was _this _close to painting the whole thing pink!"

Everyone's mood immediately lightened as congratulations filled the air. River, however, didn't seem so keen. "Spoilers," she sang out nearly inaudibly. I scrunched my face in response and gave my head a good whack.

"Yes, um, congratulations, Mrs. Williams," I admitted embarrassedly. "Erm, where was I?" I recollected my thoughts and ordered my newfound assistants to spread themselves out around the statue.

I told them not to blink.

I told them not to look her in the eyes.

And then… I told them to _lift_.

It took all thirteen of us to finally pick her up off the ground. Judging by the struggle and the loud grunting that ensued, I think we'd _all _underestimated her weight. When we finally got her off the floor, we quickly flipped her on her side to make her easier to carry.

I heaved a sigh of relief, having completed phase one, but I soon glanced behind me and winced. "River, could you open the window?" I probablyshould have done that before… Nevertheless, she did as I asked, and though the space was barely big enough, it would have to do.

"Alright. Now then…" Having to use all my strength on the angel, I fought to get words out. I cleared my throat and caught my breath before resuming with the commands. "All of you, move slowly towards the window. On my say so, we are going to throw her out. On the count of three, got it?"

Though confused, they all nodded, and some even uttered a, "Yes sir."

We struggled not to trip over each other, and despite having thirteen of us to carry her she was still pretty damn heavy. It made for a clumsy first attempt; people were turning in other directions, tripping over each other, and bumping into things. After almost completely dropping the weeping angel, I brought the group to an immediate halt.

"Let's regroup, shall we?" I huffed. "I know you're all trying to look impressive here, but I'll take the lead, thank you. I also know that this _thing_ is absurdly heavy, and that you all want to get this over with, but when I say 'Slowly,' I mean it. Don't rush. And from now on, when I say 'Step,' you step. We move as a team, or this simple little task becomes impossible. Are you ready to try again? …Good."

Step by step, we inched closer to our target. We moved together in fluid motions, not one person tripping or doing something stupid.

"Almost there," I grunted as I began to feel a breeze at my back. "Keep moving." When I backed up far enough to brush up against the wall and get a chill down my spine from the cold air, I gave the order. "Stop here."

I crawled out of the narrow space and inched over to one side of the angel, getting myself out of the way. "On the count of three, you are all going to chuck this statue out the window."

I leaned over to be face-to-face with the monster herself and menacingly muttered, "This is for the Ponds." I backed up, counting aloud, "One… Two… _Three."_

I watched on with a stone-cold expression as they hurled her out and huddled around the window. They watched as she plummeted down the three stories and, assuming my calculations were right, she fell right into the very dumpster that the TARDIS had landed in earlier. Hearing the echoes of its lid slamming shut, I knew I was right.

I didn't care to investigate whether or not she was smashed into bits. She probably wasn't, having only been thrown from three stories up and not even landing on concrete. But having her trapped in that bin was all I needed. It bought us plenty of time to get Rory delivered safely.

"When does the trash get picked up?" I asked the nearest helper.

"Every Tuesday morning, officer," he answered.

"And, um. What day is it today?"

"…It's Monday, officer."

_"Brilliant."_

I pitied the ones who would have to lug that thing over to the dump, but that wasn't my problem. I turned to face the rest of the group and said, "Thank you- thank you _all _for fulfilling your duties as responsible citizens. You're free to go."

The majority of the crowd complained quietly to each other about how crazy this all seemed, and were on their way. Three of them stayed behind, however, to ask a million more questions like, why was this important, how was this police business, what was really going on, who are you, etcetera, etcetera.

However, Lily interrupted with a loud cry, "I can't wait any longer- _he's coming!_ The baby's coming!"

"Please tell me one of you is an obstetrician," I begged.

No luck.

"No," "Nope," and "Not me," were the answers I got.

"Of course," I sighed. "Go then, she needs privacy and I can't stand hoverers."

Two of them complied and left right away, but one doctor stayed behind, asking, "Should we send someone?"

"No, no, I'm a doctor," I said.

"I thought you were a cop," she pressed.

"I dapple... Where are the gloves and whatnot?" She pointed to the counter behind me and I prepared myself. When she left, I said, "River, hold her hand some more. Talk to her. Tell her she'll be alright."

While I routinely told Lily to push, River did as I asked. It wasn't good enough, though; Lily's stress level was holding her back.

"Breathe," I said. "Hee-hee-hoo, just like that, c'mon I'lll even do it with you!"

"Doctor, it's not working," River cried.

"I can see that, thank you!"

"Lily, I know what you just went through was frightening, I know you want Brian with you, but you've _got _to relax."

"I can't!" she wailed.

River bit her lip, and then quickly reached into a pouch she'd kept clipped on to her belt. She took out a little jar with a small little worm. "A memory worm," she said aloud. "It's just a young one for now- still growing. One touch and she forgets the last thirty minutes or so. Hour, tops. She'd forget about her doctors disappearing- she'd forget the commotion and forget about seeing the angel at all."

Lily looked to me, as if asking for approval.

"Do it," I told her, without a second thought.

Lily was perfectly compliant. Not like I blame her; who _wouldn't_ want to forget about seeing a weeping angel? I wish I could have that luxury.

She stuck a finger in the jar… and then she let out a series of shrieks. "Who are you? Why does it hurt so much?! How far along am I? What are you doing to me? What're you holding? Get away from me, the both of you! Where's my doctor?! Where's my husband? He's got to be here by now. _Brian!_"

"Stay calm, Mrs. Williams," River cooed. "This is Dr. Smith, he's your new doctor, perfectly qualified. He'll take real good care of you. Your baby boy is going to be strong and healthy and wonderful, don't you worry."

Lily's smile reappeared and she laughed, "I'm having a _boy_?"

"_Yes, now push!_" I shouted.

And she did.

Not too long after, I was holding little Rory Williams in my arms. He was all red and disgusting and babyish, of course, but it was still him. "Be back in a mo, just got to go next door to freshen him up real quick."

Before bringing him back, all clean and wrapped in his soft, new not-so-TARDIS-blue blanket, I rocked him in my arms to settle his cries. River came and found me and softly placed Rory's hand in hers.

"Hey there, little man," I said softly. "Little Rory Pond-"

_"Williams,"_ River corrected.

"Ah right- spoilers… Little Rory _Williams. _You are the bravest guy I know. A warrior. A _centurion_. And I'm really going to miss you. But you'll see me again some day. We're going to go on adventures you never thought were even possible-"

River reminded me in a singsong voice, "_Spoilers."_

_"…_Right. Uh, just do me a favor, Rory. Dream big. And… live well. And love Amy."

"Enough with the spoilers," River laughed half-heartedly. "We've should bring him back to his mum now."

"I know." I couldn't help but get misty-eyed. River and I walked back to Lily's room, making sure Brian could get a good look as we passed.

As we went in the room, I continued in a hushed voice, "I couldn't say it then, and I suppose this is my last chance to say it, so… _goodbye_. Goodbye, Rory." I carried him towards Lily, who was beaming up at us with tears welled in her eyes.

_"Rory,"_ she echoed, entranced by the sight of her little boy. "I like that." She cocked her head and shifted her gaze to us, wondering, "Who _are_ you?"

"Dr. John Smith, and this is my wi- I mean, um- my assistant. Dr. Song. Now, um, Mrs. Williams, are you ready to hold your son?"

"I've been ready for a _week_!" she laughed.

Just as I was about to hand Rory over, Brian stormed in. Not _our_ Brian- _old _Brian- well, _young_ Brian, technically. The Brian of this time. Oh, it's all so timey-wimey…

He was yelling at us nonstop… and that was when I remembered what Brian- our Brian- had said to us earlier that day… _There he was- my baby boy- being passed on to Lily by one of her doctors and his lady-friend._

It was always going to be us.

I sneaked a side-glance towards River, trying to hide my smile, as she bit her lip to keep in a laugh.

Momentarily, the whole room erupted into chaos. Past-Brian practically chewed my head off for not contacting him sooner. Then he yelled at River and I for not being Lily's regular doctors. He even yelled at Lily for coming to our defense.

Lily got so frustrated that she had to ask River to take the baby out of the room so he wasn't around to hear the fighting. I thought, meanwhile, maybe I'd stay behind- maybe I could help calm everyone down. Big mistake.

Past-Brian jumped down my throat, saying, "You stay out of this, boy. This is a private matter and I'd like you to leave." Well, I knew how to take a hint. I was out of there quicker than you could say, _"Lickity-split_!" …Slowly. Twice.

I found River walking up and down the hallway, gently bouncing Rory in her arms. She was in the midst of singing "Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star" ever so softly when I crept up behind her. She was so absorbed in taking care of Rory and watching him fall asleep that she hadn't even noticed my presence.

I slid up close to her and murmured in her ear, "He likes you."

"Well I'd hope so," she smirked, not giving me a second glance

"Guess what," I said, wrapping my arms around her and resting my chin on her shoulder. "_I like you too_." I kissed her cheek a few times until she turned around, leaned over, and gave me a gentle, little kiss on the lips. I pulled away after a bit and looked down at Rory, saying, "I'm going to marry her, kiddo. I didn't really ask before- sorry for that- but this is me, asking _now_. So, um, Rory, just keep sleeping if you approve." After moments of him staying at rest, I playfully tapped River's nose saying, "Look at that, I've got his blessing!"

"Lucky thing!"

"The shouting's died down," I noted. "Maybe we should get back in there."

River nodded in reply and followed me back to the room. Before going in, we knocked on the window to make sure it was okay. Brian gave us the nod of approval, so I opened the door for River, saying, "After you, Miss Song."

Lily was just barely awake (and clearly exhausted), but her face lit up when she laid her eyes upon Rory once more. She thanked us for all we'd done, and outreached her arms to us, asking if she could hold her son. River and I exchanged a knowing look. We handed him over right away, of course. We placed him in his mother's arms, singing in child-like voices, "Bye-bye, Rory!"

River slid her arm low around my waist as we turned to leave, but right before we reached the door, Brian called out, "Doctor, wait." He sighed and walked over to us as he fiddled with his clothes restlessly. "I'm sorry for earlier. Oh, what you must think of me! I'm- I'm sorry. To you _and_ the Mrs., of course." He extended his hand for a shake, first to me, then to River.

"The Mrs.?" River asked, eyebrows raised. "How'd you-?"

"I was _pregnant_, dear, not stupid," Lily said sweetly. "Just look at the two of you…"

"I really don't know what came over me," Brian resumed. "I hope you can forgive me."

"Don't worry about it, Brian," I said. "It's fine- honest. Now do me a favor and go hold your son."

"Gladly," he replied. "And I'll never let him go." He gave us another smile, then turned back to his wife, giving her a kiss on the forehead. He took _one_ look at that baby in her arms and teared up, smiling like a fool. "Hey there, little guy- sorry I'm late! I'm your dad, ha-ha! Me, a dad… and between you and you me, I'm so glad you're a boy!"

Lily passed Rory on to Brian, and he held him high up in the air, making airplane noises and doing all sorts of silly things.

River slipped her hand in mine, giving it a little squeeze. It was time for us to slip out. We did so quietly, and our presence wasn't missed a bit.

_Our_-Brian, _future_-Brian, came out into the hallway to join us. He nodded, satisfied with the way things turned out. As he led us back down the hall, however, he informed us, "Another doctor helped us out that day after you left- he did all the medical stuff that you didn't do- temperature, breathing, heart rate and what not."

I looked around and found a nearby doctor, filling him in on the couple down the hall with a baby and no doctor. Without hesitating, he said he was free to take over and walked briskly over to Lily's room.

"That's that, then," I said. "Anything else, Bri?"

"I saw what I came to see- and more, actually. You'll have to fill me in on the whole statue thing. And the worm thing as well."

And on the way out to the TARDIS, I did just that- I explained it all to a very confused Brian. When I finished catching him up, he got pretty quiet, and let it all sink in.

When we got to the TARDIS, River held the door open for us and asked, "Brian, do you want to come with us? Be a companion, see the world – _save _the world?"

"No, no, dear. This was all a bit much for me-"

"You're sure?" I asked. "You're one of my only companions who actually listens when I say to _stay-put_. You get the whole don't-wander-off thing, talk about a refreshing change."

"It's always so fantastic travelling with you, Doctor, but this is it for me. This trip home will be the last trip I take in this curious box of yours. Gotta get back to watering those plants," he chuckled.

"As you wish," I said. "River, let's take the good man home."

"Already ahead of you, dear," she called from the console as she typed in the coordinates.

When we arrived, Brian gave River a hug and a kiss on her cheek, saying, "Drop in on your old gramps once in a while, eh? Tell me all the stories of the stars. I also specialize in marital spats!"

He then turned to me and gave me a stern handshake. "Doctor: thanks again."

I nodded and watched as he walked away… but before he even made it to the porch, he turned right around, walked directly up to me, and gave me a big hug. "You take good care of her! And yourself as well, do you hear me? You're welcome here anytime. It's your home too."

Surprised, I hugged him back and told him I'd see him around some day. And I honestly hoped I would.

"We should get together for dinner sometime," River suggested. "The three of us."

Brian and I faced to River, and I winced, "I'd suggest a Christmas get-together for next year, but I already know I'll be busy- what is it with you people and your planet always getting into trouble on Christmas? Don't you know that even Time Lords like to have a day off every once in a while? _One _holiday would be nice."

"Well, whenever it may be, just ring me up." Brian held up the cell phone I gave him earlier. River and I stepped back into the TARDIS with a quick wave, saying our goodbyes. And with that, we were off for some adventures of our own.


	7. Unfinished Business

**THE DOCTOR'S PERSPECTIVE**

**—- —- —-**

"Well Doctor, it's been fun," River said briskly as she turned her back to me. "You, me, and good old Brian- now _that_ was an adventure! Oh, I could just-"

I caught her wrist from behind. "_River_?" I asked relatively calmly, though through gritted teeth. "What do you think you're doing?"

River turned sharply, acting surprised, as she tried to tug her arm free. "The more appropriate question, I believe, is what do you think _you're _doing? Doctor, let go of me." Despite how innocent and genuinely stunned she may have sounded, her face, which was wrought with guilt, gave her away.

She continued to wriggle her arm in attempt to escape my grip, but I was now holding on with both hands, and she couldn't push me off fast enough; I just barely had the time to steady her wrist before she managed to brake free, but I _did_ get a quick look at the vortex manipulator that was already fastened on and programmed for-

"Las Vegas," I muttered with a mixture of disgust and confusion. "…2026?"

River finally stopped squirming and her guilty expression was replaced with one of defeat. She averted her gaze as I loosened my grip but kept one hand safely over the manipulator. My fingertips brushed against the warm softness of her skin, and I almost gave in to the sinking feeling of melancholy that was settling inside me, ready to send her off without questions. If she wanted to go, she was a free woman, and, by all means, I wanted her to be happy. But she was leaving me _now _of all times, in one of my darkest hours, and she wasn't even planning on saying goodbye. All of that melancholy I so briefly felt was quickly replaced with anger. _Betrayal_.

I should've known even River had a hidden agenda. She was ready to swap me out for the next best offer like so many others; Amy, Martha, Mickey, and so many before them, all found something better to do or someone they'd rather be with. For Amy, at least it'd been the love of her life. But Vegas?_ "Seriously?_ _T__hat's_ where you're off to?" I dropped her wrist completely and paced the TARDIS floor, indignantly demanding, "You're just going to run off and leave me here alone while you play cards, throw money away, and see nearly naked men?"

"It's not what you think," she tried.

"I can't believe you were going to leave without so much as a proper goodbye- without saying where you're going- when you'll be back- _if _you'll be back." I narrowed my eyes and inspected River closely as I dared to ask, "_Will_ you be back?"

River just stared in her reply. Her mouth hung open, caught off guard for what may have been the first time. "I… I-"

I didn't bother to let her finish that sentence. Her hesitation had been answer enough. "You're always going on about how I should never be alone- that I'm _so _important to you- that you love me _so _much… but here you are, abandoning me like everyone else. We had plans! We were supposed to go to Oktoberfest! I was hoping to take you to the Lakes of Angorica! And I've beenpromising the Singing Towers for _ages_!"

Great, now I was thinking about the Library. But honestly, how could River be planning to leave when there was so much left between us? She couldn't at least wait a few days for me to recover from losing the Ponds- couldn't wait until I'd found another companion- couldn't wait to _leave._ "If it's thateasy for you to leave me behind, after all we've been through… Well, let me tell you, Professor River Song-"

"Oh, come off it," she groaned suddenly. Her confidence had bounced back to her, and she now spoke steadily with her usual exasperated annoyance, rather than her previous state of stammering confusion. "I swore to you we'd go anywhere together, wherever and whenever you want. But I told you it couldn't be all the time. We meet out of order, and that's exactly what we signed up for, like it or not. No matter how much I do love you, and I can't believe you would question that, there's just too much to be done. You've got your business to attend to, and I've got mine."

"What kind of business could you possibly have in_Vegas?" __I scoffed. "Going to be a __showgirl?"_

_"__Don't be ridiculous."_

_"What then? What's in Vegas that interests you so much?"_

"Strippers." (The odd thing was, she didn't seem to be kidding.)

_"…Excuse me?" _

"That got your attention," she quipped. "I'm going to Vegas to find strippers. _Missing_ strippers. Seventeen of them."

"Or you could let the policemen do their jobs."

"Normally I _would._ Thing is, seventeen people have gone missing and there are no witnesses, no suspects, and no clues whatsoever. It's been going on for a while and I've known about this for the last few days, but I put _you_first, as usual." She shook her head with a growing, sympathetic smile, saying, "You can be such an idiot sometimes…"

That about summed it up.

I still don't know what'd come over me… call it post-Pond depression, or what have you. After all that had happened in the past few days, I was a bit whacked out- not in the right frame of mind whatsoever. To be honest, I needed someone- not that I'd admit it aloud, not ever, and especially not to River.

I could've easily spent a day with friends that _didn't_ get interrupted by a Weeping Angel. I would've loved to have a day without Daleks, Cybermen, or Silence popping up. Just _one _day that didn't involve a distress call or something that needed my attention. _Just one day_ to collect myself after losing my two dearest friends and having my world rocked to its core.

But no, it never quite works like that, does it? So is the life of the Time Lord… and the idiot I am, I took it out on River, who, to be fair, _had_ been there for me when I needed her most.

River wrapped her arms around my neck and nestled her fingers at its base, fiddling playfully with my hair. "…But I love you anyway," she resumed. "And you know very well that I can't stay away from you and that ridiculous bow tie of yours. So yes, I _am_ leaving you for the time being. But no, I don't know when I'll be back. I can't even guarantee I'll live to see you again, honestly."

I brushed a strand of hair away from her eyes and took a step closer, sliding my arms around her waist. "Don't say that," I mumbled.

"I'm sorry, Doctor, but there will always be a slim- and I mean _very _slim chance- that I won't make it out alive. You've got to remember, I'm not indestructible, and neither are you. I didn't know how to answer you before because I'm won't make a promise I can't keep; in this particular case, I don't even know what I'm getting myself into."

I wanted to be selfish- to tell her not to get herself into anything in the first place. But I had to let her do this. It shouldn't be too hard. After all, it's not like we hadn't been apart like this before. "I know. I just _hate_ goodbyes- even the temporary kind. But you're right… you should go." Though as I spoke those words, I found myself pulling her even closer to me.

"If all goes as planned, I'll just be popping out for a bit. At the very least, you'll be seeing me very soon… and countless times again after that. And can I just say, the lakes of Angorica…" but she didn't _say _a thing; instead, she shivered with pleasure and moaned wistfully. Between that and the playful smile that was now dancing across her lips, I was left to wonder desperately about what had happened at those lakes. Or, rather, what _will _happen- _and_ _when._

River gazed up at me, cupping my face in the palm of her hands, and moved in for a kiss. I however, interrupted with, "You could take me along! I'm not particularly fond of Las Vegas, but what the hell- I've got nothing better to do, and I'd much rather be with _you_ than little old me, myself, and I, so-"

"_Actually…" _she started uneasily, taking a wary step back."You've been getting some messages on the TARDIS line."

"What?"

"Some were personal, others were calls of distress… I've sort of been keeping them from you," she winced.

"_River," _I wailed._ "_You can't _do_that_!"_

"What, with all that's been going on?" She sarcastically threw her arms up in self-defensive as she sneered, "Oh, I'm _so_ sorry, but would you rather I have said, 'By the way, sweetie, I know we're up against a weeping angel right now, but some bloke from England just phoned- said something about birthdays and robotic men… and really bad taste in accessories.' Or, 'I know we're going to drop off my gramps and you just delivered my pops as a baby, but some creatures from Thraekar have been trying to reach you.' Or what about, 'Look, dear, a call from your pal-'"

"Oh, alright, I get it," I huffed. "How many messages are there?"

"Six total, last time I checked."

_"Six?" _I shrieked."_River!"_

"The Thrae did leave _four_ of them,if that's any consolation."

"The Thrae?" I repeated, running a hand through my hair.

" I believe that's what they're called, yes."

"From _Thraekar?"_I asked, now scratching at my nonexistent sideburns.

"That's what they said."

"But I- I haven't heard of them." I thumped away at one side of my head, as if that would shift information around and jog up a memory, but no; I'd _actually _never heard of them, not once, not even in passing.

"_Why_ haven't I heard of them?" I pondered as I paced anxiously on the TARDIS floor. "I'm plenty aware that I don't know _everything _about the universe, but I _am_ familiar with the names of each and every planet. Why isn't Thraekar ringing any bells? Did they leave their coordinates? A number I could phone back? …Anything?"

She shook her head to each question. "No, but they had their reasons. They didn't feel safe- I think they were trying to protect themselves."

"From _me?"_I asked ridiculously.

"They didn't say."

"But I wouldn't even know how to find them," I exclaimed in a panic. "I wouldn't know where to _look! _Where do I start?"

"Doctor, I've _really_ got to go," she groaned, glancing at her manipulator. "This is why I'd wanted to skip the goodbyes; I was to aiming to avoid this whole conversation. I can't let another innocent person go missing because I was busy having a chat with my husband."

"I'd hardly call them innocent, River, they're _strippers." _

"Oh_, shut up," _I replied defensively, despite how I couldn't quite stifle the laugh. "Look, I can't help you with the Thrae, but you're smart and you'll figure it out. You're pretty frenetic right now, so until they give you another call back, why don't you relax and try checking the TARDIS database? I'm sure it'll have something on them. Go from there. I'll see you soon, Sweetie."

"You better," I murmured in her ear before placing a quick kiss high on her cheek.

"Good luck with all this," she said dismissively, her attention now back on adjusting her manipulator.

Admittedly, even as I spoke this next sentence, I couldn't believe my own ears. "Good luck with the strippers." I never thought I'd say that one, that's for sure.

As she was about to go, I had a sudden and dreadful realization. "_River__!_ River, they are _female_strippers, right? _Female__?_"

She flashed me a mischievous smile. "_Goodbye,_Doctor." And just like that, she was gone.

Oh I _hate_ it when she leaves me wondering. Well, actually, I hate it when she leaves me in general… but the faster I got done with my business, the less time I'd have to go on without her. So I went over to the TARDIS voice-mail system and hit play. _"You have –eight- new messages."_

"_Hello?! Doctor?!" __It was a woman's voice, filled with desperation and a glimmer of hope. She had an accent I'd never heard before, which was a shame considering how beautifully it rolled off her tongue.__ "This is Richava Kampur, of a small planet called Thraekar, though I can't imagine you've ever heard of it. I wish I could leave you with our coordinates, but it's just not safe enough. All I can say is we're defenseless and in dire need of your help. I will be calling again very soon. Please answer your phone, it's urgent."** –beep.**_

_"Yes, hello… Doctor?" __This time, it was a man's voice. He had the same accent, but spoke a much more level and serious tone. "__My name is Lumric Kampur. My wife phoned you earlier. She's, um- she's gone. She's… she's dead now. She's been murdered like all the rest. Help us. Please, you're our last hope."** –beep.**_

_"This is Lumric Kampur… I'm sorry to bother you again, but I can honestly say I don't know where else to turn. My wife, Richava, she truly believed you could help us. Our little planet is in chaos- over thirty dead in the last week. We don't know where else to turn. It's not safe to give you any more information, we need to protect ourselves and- well, it'll make sense later. If you're really out there, we need you." **–beep.**_

_"Well hello there, Doctor!" __I perked up at the sound of a familiar voice, a smile immediately spreading across my face.__ "It's been so long, I thought you'd—well, never mind that. It's about Alfie… it was his second birthday last week! We got him a little bow tie for one of his presents. Sophie just clipped it on him and guess what he said! He's not much of a talker yet, but do you know what he said? He said, 'Doctor!' Can you believe it? Then he picked up a flashlight and made WHOOSH-like noises and… oh, you should see it for yourself! Anyway, thought you might like to hear that. He's gotten so big! You should really pop in for a chat! There doesn't always have to be robotic men here to bring you back, you know. Oh, and Sophie wants—" –**beep!**_

_"…Doctor." __It was Lumric again. I leaned forward on the TARDIS console and rubbed my temples. The one time I leave the TARDIS line completely unattended, I actually get distress calls. It's my payback for putting the real world on hold for my personal issues, and I felt absolutely miserable.__ "The death toll has reached forty, and the numbers keep climbing. We've got nowhere else to turn. I do hope you answer the next time around, or there might not be many of us left. I'm starting to lose faith."** –beep.**_

_"—Whoops, ran out of time there. Um, hmm, now, uh, where was I? Ah, right: Sophie! She wants you over for a proper dinner. 'Stop being a stranger,' she said! Oh- and the next time you go off to die, but then you don't_actually _die, you should try phoning us. You had us worried sick when you left like you did! Lucky thing we like to stargaze, Sophie and I. We were just sitting on our porch one night, looking up at the stars like we often do, binoculars and all- when suddenly, there flew a little blue box. Anyway, you're alive, we miss you, let's do dinner. I'm about to run out of time here, aren't I? Goodbye then! …Oh, and this is Craig, by the-" **–beep!**_

_"Doct-ah!" exclaimed another familiar voice. "Oy! It's Strax! Let's skip the bit where I died, eh? In celebration of life, I'm going to off the remainder of Pluto tonight. Meet me here! I've got the explosives."__**–beep. **_

_In the next and final message, I heard voices distantly in the background, muddled ad undecipherable. I pressed my ear to the console to get a better listen. __"OHH SORRY, MATE," __a sudden voice called out. I quickly recoiled from the console and realized what this voicemail was.__ "Pocket-dialed you by mistake." __It was Craig. __"We'd better be seeing you soon! Bye then!" **–beep.**_

Good news: Giving Strax and Craig a call back wouldn't take long at all. I'd definitely have time for quick visits to each and still have time leftover to surprise River in Vegas. However…

Bad news: I still had no idea who those Thrae creatures were. Even the TARDIS database came up with nothing. I'd have to sit and wait for their next call, and after that, who knows how long it would take to help them?

Oh, but then I had a brilliant idea- I could set up call forwarding from the TARDIS to my mobile phone. That way, I couldn't possibly miss the next call from the Thrae, even if I was out and about. The first thing I did after that was give Strax a call back.

"Doctor!" he announced. "I see you received my message. You're coming then? Death to the Plutonians! It's going to be-"

"It's not going to be _anything,_Strax," I sighed. "Pluto lives. Take your explosives elsewhere."

"But, sir-"

"No _buts_," I chastised before he got in his argument. "What about Mercury?"

"The Mercs are extinct," he protested dryly.

"Ah, yes, Strax, but their towns live on. There are huts and campouts spread out across the planet!"

"Death to the Plutonians," he insisted.

"Mercury is about three times the size of Pluto," I reminded him. "There's so much to blow up! Meanwhile, Pluto's got a measly population of about twenty now- they're nearly extinct, and the planet is so puny… it would be no match for you. C'mon, where's the fun in that? I thought warriors like you dwelled on facing a challenge!"

"Mercury is no challenge for me."

"And Pluto _is?" _

"Oh, alright, I'm considering it," he sighed reluctantly.

"I'd even go with you," I added.

He contemplated this, then agreed, "Every soldier _does _require backup sometimes."

"And in gratitude, I'd take you on as a companion the next time I'm alone." (I already knew I'd regret that promise one day.)

Finally, Strax gave in. "Mercury it is, sir."

"I'm on my way," I told him. "Can you meet me there?"

"I'm already here."

"How did you-?"

"Please, sir," he said flatly. "Don't question the Sontaran."

"O-okay then. Won't be long," I said before hanging up.

I set the coordinates and flew the TARDIS singlehandedly yet again. Once it was on its way and mostly stabilized, I figured I'd return Craig's phone calls.

"Hello, Doctor!" he cried merrily. I could practically see that big fat grin of his spreading across his face.

"Craig! Hey you- how's the family?"

"Fantastic! We all miss you though- Alfie too! Tell me you'll stop by soon."

"How does tonight sound?" I asked.

"We just finished dinner, but would you like to come for desert? We've got pie!"

"Ha! Pie it is!"

"You need the time and date, right?"

"Already ahead of you," I grinned. "Caller I.D!"

I hung the phone up just as I landed the TARDIS. I skipped on out to find Strax there waiting for me, as expected. He had barrels upon barrels of grenades beside him, ready to cause destruction. He handed one to me and grinned so broadly his eyes were fixed into a squint.

Uneasy about the situation, I decided to make a bit of small talk before doing anything rash. "So you survived Demons Run," I noted.

Strax avoided my gaze and stammered, "Yes, erm... yes, I did."

"How?" I asked. "We all saw your death"

"Not quite," he winced.

"Not quite?"

After several moments of him holding his tongue, Strax blurted out the truth. "It was less of a death and, well.. morfafnt."

"W_hat?" _

"More of a faint," he grumbled.

I couldn't fight the laugh that escaped my mouth, which only furthered Strax's frustration. "Sorry, I just- well- you were out for a while. How long were you-"

"Two days. Vastra and Jenny got me out. Then they tricked me into going to _London._"

"What've you got against London?"

"In the 1800s? Not my cup of tea. I'm a Sontaran, sir. I prefer the battlefields!"

"Well then," I smirked. "Let's get to it."

I'm not usually fond of blowing things up and this was probably the most disrespectful thing you could do to an extinct civilization… but I had too much pent up frustration to care. I was determined to let loose for a while, give the universe a taste of revenge for giving me nothing but hell.

Time had already turned most everything into ruins. The campsites were already naturally destroyed. The huts were all that remained. All those huts- they marked where the Mercs once lived, thrived, raised children, died… but none of that put the slightest damper on my hearts as it probably should have. At the time, the only affect it had on me was _confidence. _It served as a sign that no one was around to stop us. My whole brain just went, _"What the hell," _and I reached inside the nearest barrel.

I launched a grenade right at one of those neatly woven, wooden huts and watched on with a tinge of exhilaration as it exploded. It didn't make as much of a bang as I thought it would, but Strax quickly launched another grenade in the same spot, and that did the trick. The hut went crashing down and little flames arose from its destruction.

We ran around part of the planet like this. We even made a game of it to see who could blow up a group of ten huts faster. (He won, but only by a few split seconds.) Another game we played was seeing who could get the most grenades launched at one single hut before it came crashing down. I won, with a record of sixteen. Strax only made it to twelve, but he insisted it was because he preferred a slower destruction too much to 'ruin it' with 'careless speed,' despite the fact that the game had been _his _idea.

We also made a deal that if one of Strax's grenades didn't land on a hut, he would have to carry me on his back as I set off ten grenades (as quickly or as slowly as I chose). And if _I_ were to miss a hut, I would get ten seconds to run before he would throw a grenade at _me_. Granted, I had the short end of the stick in this deal, but I knew I'd regenerate had he actually hit me. It's not like this body has anything left to offer anyway- the best part of me is always my friends, and they were dead and gone. Time for me to move on.

Once Strax took aim at me, however, I went running, unexpectedly quickly, in all sorts of directions. I realized how much it would hurt to get hit by one of his grenades and decided it wasn't worth regeneration at _all_. What had I been thinking when I made this deal? Luckily, Strax was a lousy shot. I was a bit too quick for him and much too small of a target, so I didn't have to endure being blown to bits.

After an hour or so, we grew tired, and took a look around to soak up all we'd just done. We watched the smoke engulf the towns we'd hit… and I even enjoyed what I saw. For once, the universe wasn't destructing _me_ in one way or another; it was my turn to destruct the universe.

It's not like we even managed to cover half of the planet, so we didn't come _close _to wiping out the_ whole history of the Mercs' _existence. Mercury's so massive we hardly made a dent.

I left Strax, saying I was sure to see him soon. He asked to come along with me, since I was currently without a companion and I _did _make a promise, but I informed him I had plans for pie (something he apparently despises) and that I would be joining River as soon as I possibly could. He made some snide comment about her space hair freaking him out and decided to stay behind to launch _"just a few more"_ grenades.

With no phone calls from the Thrae, I headed over to Craig's place and rang the bell. The lovely Sophie answered the door while balancing Alfie in her arms.

"Doctor! So good to see you," she beamed.

"Always a pleasure, Miss Sophie." I turned my attention to little Stormageddon- or should I say _big_Stormageddon! "Loving the bow tie, buddy! How old are you again?"

"Two!" He shouted as he reached up to play with _my_ bow tie.

"Noooo," I roared absurdly. "Don't lie to me, mister, you've gotta be at least ten! Look how big you are!"

Alfie giggled and shook his head. He flailed in his mother's arms, repeating, "Two! Two!"

"What else are you keeping from me, eh? Bet you got yourself a girlfriend, too!" Alfie squealed and squirmed playfully in Sophie's arms as I tickled his sides. "I bet she's a cute one, too- where's she hiding, hmm?"

Craig came rushing down the stairs and stretched his arms out wide, ready to attack me with one of his big bear hugs. "Doctor! You made it!"

"Was there any question I wouldn't? How could I resist pie and old friends?"

"Well you _are _a night late," he said sheepishly. He pulled out of the embrace and continued to give me his most winning grin. "But what does that matter? Don't just stand there- come on in!"

I stepped out of the doorway with Craig shutting the door behind me, but I couldn't refrain from asking, "What do you mean I'm a night late?"

"Well, we talked on the phone _last_ night and you showed up tonight." Craig fidgeted with his hands, as if he were nervous for some reason. "Don't worry, though- we didn't touch the pie. Figured we'd hold off to have it with you or not have it at all, just in case you showed up late. Lucky thing!"

"Yeah. And I should let you know I can't stay long," I said to both Craig and Sophie. "I'm making the rounds, and then I'll be off to find my-" I faltered, remembering that they'd never met (or even heard of) River Song. I bit my lip awkwardly, figuring there was no better time like the present to clue them in, "…my wife."

Craig's eyes doubled in size and his brows shot up to the ceiling. He exchanged this surprised glance with Sophie who was busy gaping, "Wife? Are you _married?_ When did you- who did you-?" Obviously at a loss for words, Sophie took a breath to compose herself. (I must admit, their level of shock was the teensiest bit offensive, but I couldn't blame them, seeing as I'm still stunned myself.) Sophie leaned in with a sudden realization, as she asked in hushed voice, "How long's it been for you since you last saw us?"

"Hundred years, give or take."

"That… is… beyond… nutty," she stared with amusement. "It's barely been a year for us."

I lowered my voice, cocked an eyebrow, and crooked a corner of my mouth up into a sly grin, wondering, "Would you believe it if I said I just came from Mercury?"

Sophie gave a whole-hearted laugh. "You're pulling my leg- did you really?" I nodded and told her about visiting the deserted planet with Strax (leaving out the bit about the grenades). An impressed Sophie placed her hand on my arm and led me to the kitchen where we both took a seat at a little table by the window to continue chatting about. I glanced down at the three different types of pie and fancy silverware in front of me and held back a laugh of my own.

"We only had apple pie," Sophie explained as Craig helped Alfie into his high chair. "Wasn't sure if you liked that kind so I picked up these two late last night as well! That one's pumpkin, that's pecan, and that one there is the apple."

I took one slice of the pecan and one of the pumpkin, admitting to her that it was a smart thing to get them since, "Apples are complete and total rubbish… though I've never tried them in a pie."

Over the next hour or so, conversation drifted from my recent adventures, the Ponds, and what happened in Manhattan- to Alfie, to the work life of Sophie and Craig, to their latest social outings. When the conversation died down, I was anxious to move on to my next and final task before going after River: helping the Thrae. I checked my mobile discretely under the table, trying not to be rude.

No missed calls.

"So," Craig said, breaking the newfound silence. "What's this about a wife? Tell us about her."

I slid the phone back into my pocket and felt my face get hot.

"He's already blushing," Sophie quipped, leaning into Craig.

"The woman I mentioned who travelled with Amy, Rory, and me for a bit- River Song- that's her."

"I knew it," she cheered giddily.

"Yeah, well, she's… well she can be pretty impossible sometimes. She constantly teases me for what I wear. She flirts with me at the most inappropriate of times. And she just expects me to be there for her whenever she falls… _literally_."

"Sounds like this one here," Sophie laughed as she jabbed her elbow playfully into Craig's arm.

"But she's always looking out for me," I rambled. "Even when I make a complete jerk of myself. And… she makes me happy- I mean really, truly, honest-to-God happy. I've never felt that way with anyone else, and if I'm not with her, she's all I ever think about- it's ridiculous, actually. And the obnoxious level of flirting- with anyone else, I'd find it tedious and… a bit repulsive- but with _River?"_ I took a deep breath to prevent me from revealing all the thoughts that actually did race through my mind whenever she flirted with me- they didn't need to hear the graphic details. "With her, it feels right. _Everything_ feels right. And the reason she can expect me to be there when she falls is because I always will. Honestly, how could I not? She's my wife, after all. She's there when I need her most. She's gorgeous. She keeps me on my toes. She turns me into a rambling idiot. And she's always, _always_ right- which is absolutely infuriating, don't get me wrong…"

Sophie seemed to hang on to my every word. She looked up at Craig and smiled ever so sweetly. The look I'd seen River give me countless times. "That's love." She gave Craig a kiss on the cheek and he put his arm around her, pulling her close. I wasn't sure who was being the bigger romantic sap at the moment- her or me.

Either way, our conversation came to an abrupt end when the TARDIS sound rang out from my trousers. _The Thrae!_


End file.
